Attractions
Grand Socco
This former marketplace (the name “socco” derives from the Spanish take on “souk,” or market) is now the city crossroads right outside of the walls of the old city. Cafes line the square where swarms of taxis line up for hire. While the Grand Socco has a bad reputation for drug dealing and criminal activity, the busy square offers plenty of opportunities to people watch and soak in the local culture. Amid the hustle and bustle, colourful, traditionally dressed Rif women sell vegetables and spices. It’s also a good place to start before entering the medina, the Mendoubia Gardens or the Sidi Bou Abid Mosque with its mosaic-covered minaret.
American Legation
The American Embassy in the heart of Tangier’s old medina houses the first American historic landmark located in another country, the American Legation Museum. Morocco was the first nation to recognise the United States’ independence in 1777. The museum operates as a cultural centre, library and conference centre and displays art collections and restored rooms, all of which can be viewed on a guided tour.
Address: 8 Rue d’Amerique.
Telephone: (539) 93 53 17
Website:www.legation.org
Hours of Operation: Monday to Friday, 10am to 1pm and 3pm to 5pm
Admission: Free
Kasbah
Wander through the arcades and alleys of the Kasbah, the fortified residential quarter that dates back to the 17th century, where you might manage to peek behind hidden terraces or catch views of the medina and the Bay of Tangier. After all of that walking, rest your feet at the Moorish café Le Detroit, located in the Sultan’s Gardens in the Rue Riad Sultan. There you can sit on the terrace and watch local craftsman at their work or catch a glimpse – if the skies are clear – of Tarifa, a Spanish city located 29km (18 miles) away.
Dar el Makhzen
The former Sultan’s palace now houses a spectacular art collection and museum of antiquities. The 17th-century palace, which looms large in the Tangier Kasbah, is worth a visit just for its decorative mosaics and frescoed ceilings. The art comes from all over Morocco, including pottery, silks, carpets and manuscripts. The antiquities on display have been salvaged from sites such as Lixus, Cotta and Volubilis. You can also see a life-sized model of a Carthaginian tomb and a reproduced ancient necropolis, located in an Andalusian garden.
Address: Place de la Kasbah.
Telephone: 0539/932097
Admission: 10 dirhams
Forbes Museum
A perfect example of one of Tangier’s many palatial residences in the Marshan villa district, the Forbes Museum is only about 15 minutes walk from the medina. This gorgeous building is open to the public and houses the former owner’s (multi-millionaire Malcolm Forbes) collection of 8,000 miniature soldiers.
Address: Palais Mendoub, rue Shakespeare
Telephone: (0)9 93 36 06.
