The medina is the top attraction of Tangier, a labyrinth of alleyways
both commercial and residential, contained by the walls of a
15th-century Portuguese fortress. Clean and well lit, as medinas go, the
place is full of traveller’s treasures, from fleeting glimpses of
ancient ways of living, to the more material rewards of the souqs. The
thing to do is to get lost and wander for a few hours, although there
are a few sites you don’t want to miss. Get as close to your destination
as possible, then ask if you run into problems. Young people will be
happy to take you anywhere (for a few dirhams).
From the Grand
Socco, enter the medina opposite the Mendoubia Gardens, on Rue
as-Siaghin, and follow the road downhill until it widens at Café
Central,on the left. This is the Petit Socco once the most notorious
crossroads of Tangier, the site of drug deals and all forms of
prostitution. Today the facades are freshly painted, tourists abound and
it’s a wonderful square for people-watching while you drink your mint
tea.
From the Petit Socco, Rue Jemaa el-Kebir (formerly Rue de la
Marine) leads east past the Grande Mosquée , which at one time housed a
Portuguese church. A little further on you reach a scenic lookout over
the port.
Now to avoid getting lost, head out of the medina a
moment, and circle down to its southernmost corner, where you will re-
enter via the steps to Rue D’Amerique/Zankat America. A dog-leg brings
you to a door in a covered passageway on your left. Here you will find
another great local oddity, and must-visit, the Tangier American
Legation Museum . Morocco was one of the first countries to recognise
the fledgling United States, and this was the first piece of American
real estate abroad (look for the letter of thanks from George Washington
to Sultan Moulay Suleyman). It is also the only US National Historic
Landmark on foreign soil. The elegant five-storey mansion holds an
impressive display of paintings that give a view of the Tangerine past
through the eyes of its artists, most notably the Scotsman James McBey,
whose hypnotic painting of his servant girl, Zohra, has been called the
Moroccan Mona Lisa. The new director of the Legation, Gerald Loftus, has
introduced a well-stocked bookshop and a wing dedicated to Paul Bowles.
The romantic map room upstairs contains walls lined with ancient
parchments and diplomatic mementoes, including a hilarious letter from
the US consul recounting his gift of a lion from the sultan in 1839. It
is at this point you realise that you have entered the plot of an exotic
historical novel.
Just off the Petit Socco is the Musée de la
Fondation Lorin , which is another eclectic stop. Here in this former
synagogue, you will find an open two-storey room with an engaging
collection of black-and-white photographs of 19th- and 20th-century
Tangier on the walls. Meanwhile there is likely a children’s theatre
going on in the centre, as the museum doubles as a workshop for
disadvantaged kids, bringing life to the static display.
Now
continue along Rue Touahine to Rue as-Siaghin, and exit the medina from
where you started. Follow the perimeter all the way to the western end,
to the highest part of the city, enter the Porte de la Kasbah, and
follow the road to the Kasbah Museum . The museum is perfectly sited in
Dar el-Makhzen, the former sultan’s palace (where Portuguese and British
governors also lived) and has recently been completely renovated. The
new focus is on the history of the area from prehistoric times to the
19th century, most of it presented in seven rooms around a central
courtyard. Placards are in French and Arabic. Some highlights are
pre-Roman tools; a sculpture with scenes of a bacchanalian feast; some
16th-century jewellery; an extraordinary floor mosaic from Volubilis;
and a fascinating wall map of trade routes past and present. Before you
leave, don’t miss the exotic Sultan’s Garden off the main courtyard,
opposite the entrance, which was being restored at the time of research.
