Day 12 - Tangier  5/22/22

Morocco

Frank's Trip

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Tangier...

For me, Tangier was a difficult place to visit. It is all hills... the downhill part is good, but I swear there is at least twice as much uphill as there is downhill!

If Chicago is America's Windy City, I would have to say Tangier is Morocco's Windy City. From my first day visit to Cap Spartel and what felt like mild hurricane winds until I left, there was always a lot of wind in this area - though in Tangier not nearly so brisk as at Cap Spartel.

Kasbah Museum

This excellent museum inside the Kasbah is based in the restored Dar el-Makhzen Palace. The museum brings together an amazing number of exhibits tracing Morocco's tumultuous and complicated history.

Unfortunately, I was only able to see a tiny part of it before it closed...

Around the York Castle

ABOVE:   York Castle area of the Kasbah - Rue Bab El Assa - York Castle is an historic structure on the Place de la Kasbah in Tangier, Morocco that is over 537 years old. The stone castle was originally built by the Portuguese in 1580 and later was owned by the Duke of York, who gave it its name.

This gate at the southeast end of Place du Mechouar exits the Kasbah where the eastern edge of the Jnan Kaptan neighborhood meets the western edge of Dar Baroud. The name means "Gate of Beatings," because prisoners were beaten as the passed through the gate on the way to and from the prison on the square.

BELOW:   Views looking out from the walls of the York Castle area

RIGHT:
The gate is also the site of one of the city's most beautiful public fountains, Seqaya Bab al-Assa. Fountain Bab al-Assa

LEFT:
A 'Public Baker' at work. Many homes in the kasbah do not have cooking facilities and they bring their items to the public baker. This baker also makes bread for sale.

Tomb of Ibn Batutta

Ibn Battuta, who was born in Tangier in 1304 and became the greatest traveler of the period – outpacing Marco Polo at an easy clip. A scholar and judge, Ibn Battuta traveled across North Africa through the Middle East and then onto Russia, Central Asia and China, returning via Sri Lanka and East Africa. After stopping at home, he then journeyed across the Sahara to West Africa, finally settling to write it all down in 1355

Grand Mosque of Tangier

Originating in the 5th century, when it was the site of a Roman temple, this is a fascinating historical structure. During the 8th century, its central location seemed suitable for a place of Muslim prayer, and so a mosque was erected. After the Portuguese conquest in the late 15th century, it was converted into a cathedral and, subsequently, back again to a mosque. As is religious custom in Morocco, the building is not open to non-Muslims – but whatever your faith you can admire the elegant minaret and intricately carved main portal.

It is nestled into and part of the Medina and not a separate building that can be photographed by itself. This is true of many of the old mosques and religious memorials.

Church of the Immaculate Conception

Built by the Spanish in 1880.

By all appearances, it is operational but it wasn't open to enter when I was there.

Berber woman selling her produce

Roxy Cinema

Emblem of Art Deco architecture, the Roxy cinema dates from the 1930s. Closed for a long time, it was restored in 2007 and reopened to the public. If this mythical cinema of the Pearl of the Straits has managed to find a second wind, this is not the case for many other cinemas that have closed their doors one after the other. There was a time when Tangier had 14 cinemas. The Roxy was one of the first cinemas to open in Morocco. Its programming focuses on Moroccan and French films.

There is now a cafe on the lower level in front.