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Bay of Tangier
Stretching from Cap Malabata to the old town, the Bay of Tangier is one of the most beautiful bays in the Mediterranean. Due to its geographical position, it represents a valuable heritage and considerable wealth in tourism. It is currently experiencing spectacular boom in tourism development with several hotel complexes and seaside resorts being constructed. It has a number of attractive beaches, ready to host all kinds of water sports.
Café Hafa
Located in Quartier Marshan a few hundred metres from the Forbes Museum, Café Hafa, clinging to the hillside, amidst a profusion of flowers and shrubs, offers an enchanting view over Tangier Bay and is a haven of peace and relaxation.
The Grand Socco
The Grand Socco is a huge permanent market located at the entrance to the medina. The square was renamed Place du 9 Avril 1947 to commemorate the historic speech given by Sultan Mohamed V. Due to its location between the old town and the new, and the bustle of commercial activity to be found there, the square is one of the most frequented parts of the city, being at its liveliest on Sundays, a market day for local farmers who come to sell their fruit and poultry there. At one end of the square stands the Sidi Bou Abid Mosque with its earthenware-tiled minaret dating back to 1917.
France Square
The
square is known above all for its Grand Café de Paris, one of the smartest
cafés in the city. Jean Genet, who lodged at the nearby Minzah Hotel, used to
go there or, if he attracted too much unwanted attention, would take refuge in
the Café de France, just opposite. The square, which also houses the French
consulate in its lush green gardens, extends as far as Boulevard Mohammed V,
which leads to the western outskirts of the city, where new buildings continue
to spring up at an amazing rate.
The Big Mosque
Standing on the site of an ancient Roman Temple, the original mosque was transformed into a church by the Portuguese but, after his expulsion of the English in 1684, Moulay Ismail built a second mosque here, which was enlarged by Moulay Slimane in 1815. On 11 April 1947, King Mohammed V led prayers here, after delivering his historic speech in the El Mendoubia Gardens.
The Montagne
Outside the new town, on the slopes of the Montagne, Jbel el Kébir, lies the residential district. Surrounded by eucalyptus and umbrella pine trees, sumptuous mansions stand side-by-side with opulent Hispano-Moorish style villas, mostly built by the foreigners who lived there when Tangiers was an international zone.
According to historians, the area was once forestland where the Moors sought refuge during their struggles against the Portuguese, and then against the English who occupied the town in the 17th century.
The Small Socco
From the end of the 19th century, the Small Socco’s square was the true heart of the city, being both a business centre and a place for relaxation, with its little cafés and old hotels, among which is the famous Fuentes Hotel.
At the end of the 17th century, to celebrate the departure of the English, Sultan Moulay Ismail constructed a great mosque there on the ruins of a former Portuguese cathedral.
The Square of the Kasbah
Offering a panoramic view of the bay and the port, the Kasbah opens onto a narrow street lined with houses lavishly decorated with multicoloured shutters and balconies, and sculpted cherubs. At its centre is the Mechouar, where the Pashas used to hold public audiences, its architecture dating from the time of Moulay Ismail. Here also stand the Mosque of the Kasbah and Dar El Makhzen, now a museum, and, on the south side, close to Bab El Assa, the former courthouse of Dar Ech Chera.
Boulevard Pasteur
The
boulevard is the main street of modern Tangier. Running from Place de France,
a vast esplanade overlooking the port, the medina, and the nearby Straits of
Gibraltar, it is of European architecture, some of which dates from the start
of the 20th century. It is lined with banks and luxury boutiques,
and here also is the famous and palatial El Minzah Hotel.
Mohammed V Mosque
The
mosque, an excellent starting point for a tour of Tangier, is dedicated to the
memory of King Mohammed V, who delivered the first speech
proclaiming the country’s independence from the French and demanding
reunification of Tangier with Morocco. At the time, this pushed the majority
of foreign investors into leaving the international city, which led to a
slowdown of industrial and commercial activity in the Kingdom.
Marshan District
Marshan is a residential district built between the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. Its fine buildings, palaces and lush gardens call to mind the great viziers and Ouezzane and Mendoub chorfa who lived there at the end of 19th century.
The Mendoubia
To
the northwest of the town, stretches the famous Medoubia Park containing the
residence and offices of the Mendoub who was the Sultan’s permanent
representative on the international commission. In this park, you can see old
cannons probably dating back to the 17th century taken from various
Mediterranean fleets.
The Mosque of
The Kasbah
From the Mechouar, the Kasbah’s main square, rises the octagonal minaret of its mosque, adorned with multi-coloured zellij. This is one of the most beautiful and best-known mosques in the city, after the Great Mosque and Mohamed V Mosque. Nearby stands the magnificent Dar El Makhzen, currently in use as a museum housing fine collections of Moroccan handicrafts and relics from Volubilis.
The Seaport of Tangier
As well as being the scene of fishing and sailing activity, the port handles the daily flow of passengers and goods from Morocco to Algeciras in Spain and to Gibraltar – a two-way traffic which has boomed in recent years. In the future, the port will be referred to as Tanger-Ville to distinguish it from Tanger-Atlantique, which will be exclusively reserved for industrial activity and container traffic.
The Surroundings
Cap Spartel
Formerly called Cape Ampelusium (Cape of Vines), Cap Spartel looks down over the sea, its heights benefiting from relatively high levels of rainfall and humidity which favour the growth of vegetation. On its promontory stands a lighthouse built in 1865 by order of Sultan Mohammed Ben Abdel Rahman at the behest of foreign diplomats, and housing a collection of old framed photographs depicting lighthouses of the world.
Larache
Founded in the 12th century, Larache is a small fishing port on the Atlantic coast, 70 km south of Tangier. It lies on the estuary of the river Loukkos, whose meandering offshoots form a sound, enclosing stretches of salt marsh.The town, whose two hundred thousand inhabitants live mainly off fishing, canning and a little tourism, is also an administrative centre for the region. Due to the successive influence of Spanish and Arab occupations, its architecture varies from one district to another. The old town is typically Arab, while the new town is Andalusian in style.
Asilah-Lixus
Located
on the Atlantic coast, Asilah is a town with a turbulent past, target for the
successive attentions of Phoenicians, Normans, Portuguese and Spanish, who
took turns at occupying it until the end of the 17th century when
Moulay Ismail took possession of the city. Its stone-lined alleyways and white
houses are imbued with calm and tranquillity. The ramparts of the old town
shelter the mysterious Raissouli Palace and its alleyways lead down to one of
the coastline’s most beautiful beaches, where a sailing port is currently
under construction. In the summer, the town turns itself into a seaside resort,
attracting hosts of tourists with its delightful promenade, its tempting
display of handicrafts and its excellent camping facilities.
Tetouan
Founded
in 1307 by the Merinid Sultan Abou Thabit, the white city of Tetouan nestles
on Mount Dersa, with a panoramic view over the fertile river Martil valley,
the sea and the foothills of the Rif Mountains. Both Arab and Spanish, Tetouan
is a city of mixed race where Moorish and Andalusian styles blend harmoniously
into a single architecture. Although the Spanish language is heard less and
less on its streets, Andalusian music is still omnipresent. With its green and
white houses, its crenellated ramparts built by Moulay Ismail, and its shady
little squares, the medina is one of the most delightful spots in the Kingdom.
Chefchaouen
The
delightful village of Chefchaouen - also called Chaouen - overlooks the Ras
El-Ma spring, its lime-washed walls soaking up the blazing sunlight.
Nothing could be better than a stroll through the twisting alleyways of the medina or to watch the locals stitching babouches (slippers) and djellabas, at the foot of the Kasbah, in the doorways of houses dating back to its foundation in 1471.
Al Hoceima
Further
to the east, perched atop a cliff rising 70 metres above the Mediterranean, Al
Hoceima is a town whose existence goes back to the first half of the 9th
century. The city was an object of desire for European seafarers, starting
with the British who tried to set up a trading post there in 1661, then the
French, who wanted to establish a base there in 1666, only to be thwarted by
the Spanish, who succeeded in imposing 
their
presence in 1673. In 1926, after suppression of the Rif rebellion, Al Hoceima
bay became the scene of concerted tourist development, with numerous hotels
and residences being built. Its beaches, coves, deep rocky inlets and
promontories constitute one of the most beautiful natural settings on the
Mediterranean Coast.
Saïdia
It is said to be the pearl of Eastern Morocco with its fine sandy beach stretching over ten kilometres and its magnificent bay ideally suited to yachting. Historically speaking, the town has an extremely beautiful Kasbah, dating from the 19th century and a fortress built during the reign of Moulay Ismaïl. Saîdia makes an excellent departure point for trips into the mountains of Béni Snassen or to the Zegzel caves.
Les
sites sur Tanger :
http://www.multimania.com/tanger/
Tangier in the history, the literature, painting, the music, the cinema and the audio-visual one Photographs and forum.
http://www.chez.com/tangerois/
History of Tangier and the old photographs.
