Explore Tangier
Tangier, a Moroccan port on the Strait of Gibraltar, has been a strategic gateway between Africa and Europe since Phoenician times. Its whitewashed hillside medina is home to the Dar el Makhzen, a palace of the sultans that’s now a museum of Moroccan artifacts. The American Legation Museum, also in the medina, documents early diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Morocco in an 1821 Moorish-style former consulate.
Tangier has always carried a slightly seedy allure, in part because of its time as a semi-independent international zone that attracted eccentric foreigners, artists and spies. Officially sanctioned neglect later gave it a dismal reputation, and visitors were often quick to flee its sleaze and hustle.
Contemporary Tangier could hardly be more different. Investment has flowed in and the white city gleams with an air of confidence. The corniche bustles, entrepreneurs in the new business district have replaced the hustlers, and a new marina is under construction, along with the new TGV train line to Casablanca. Tangier’s cultural life is buzzing in a way it hasn’t done since the 1950s.
Tangier has always carried a slightly seedy allure, in part because of its time as a semi-independent international zone that attracted eccentric foreigners, artists and spies. Officially sanctioned neglect later gave it a dismal reputation, and visitors were often quick to flee its sleaze and hustle.
Contemporary Tangier could hardly be more different. Investment has flowed in and the white city gleams with an air of confidence. The corniche bustles, entrepreneurs in the new business district have replaced the hustlers, and a new marina is under construction, along with the new TGV train line to Casablanca. Tangier’s cultural life is buzzing in a way it hasn’t done since the 1950s.
What To See And Do
1. CAFE HAFA
Cafe Hafa is practically an institution of historical Tangier and is a must-see for anyone passing through. It has existed since 1921, as it so proudly proclaims at its entrance, and resides on a cliffside with a stunning panorama of the Mediterranean sea.
2. PHOENICIAN TOMBS
The Phoenician tombs are located between Cafe Hafa and the top entrance to the Old Kasbah. It’s true that these tomb structures are very often filled with water and litter, but they are still interesting and of great historic value.
3. GET LOST IN THE OLD KASBAH
Getting lost in the old city is an absolute must when visiting Tangier! What is so interesting about the old medina is the miles and miles of tiny, narrow, endless paths in between the buildings where one can get lost in no time.
4. KASBAH MUSEUM
When I, Ruby, first saw the Kasbah Museum, it was not as a curious tourist, but as a choreographer holding rehearsals in the open building behind the museum’s gardens.
5. PETIT SOCCO
Right in between the hike from the Grand Socco to the port, you will come across a smaller square, lined with a few cafes and several shops and galleries.
6. AMERICAN LEGATION
The American Legation is a museum, cultural center, and research library that holds historical and artistic artifacts and is home to a rich history of diplomatic relations between the United States and Morocco.
7. THE GRAND SOCCO & CINEMA RIF
The Grand Socco goes by a few different names- Souk Ibarra, if you’re a local, but it is officially called Place du Grand 9 Avril 1947 after a famous speech given by King Mohammed V in support of Moroccan independence on, of course, April 9, 1947.
8. MARKETS IN TANGIER
Like any other city in Morocco, Tangier also has a few colorful souks (markets) that are a pleasure for the eye and nose to visit.
9. ST. ANDREW’S CHURCH
Visiting an Anglican church in Tangier, Morocco may sound a bit out-of-the-ordinary, but St. Andrew’s is a beautiful, historic sort of sanctuary in the middle of the bustling city.
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