Tangier Sights

During your trip to Tangier, you'll definitely hear a lot of hype about the Kasbah. Ever the explorer, you'll wander up rue d'Italie through Bab Marshan, and a hustler or two will try to tell you how to find it. Well my friend, you're already there. The word Qasbah refers to a high-walled fortress located in the medina of traditional Islamic cities. That means the Kasbah is a neighborhood, not a building. Now that you've got that under your belt, there are two ways to explore Tangier's Kasbah. Walk through the fortress' gate, turn right, and follow the diamonds in the street into the Kasbah's narrow passageways. Eventually you'll pass the impressive minarets of the Mosque de la Kasbah, followed by the Dar al-Makhzen museum and the Place du Mechoir or Place de Kasbah, which has open-air concerts at night. Alternatively, once you've passed through the Bab al-Marshan, walk straight until you have to turn right and follow the Kasbah walls for 200 ft. to the Pl. du Mechoir's open square and sweet view of the ocean. Be careful of friendly Moroccans who start showing you around. Most likely, they are looking for a fee.

• St. Andrew's Church, Built on land donated to Great Britain by Moulay Hassan I in 1883, St. Andrews's oasis of peace has a carefully tended garden, an English cemetery and a modest Anglican Church. Ask the gentle groundskeeper, Mustapha, to open the Church doors and you'll see an intricately carved wooden ceiling above the altarpiece as well as the Lord's Prayer inscribed in Arabic around the chancel arch. It's well-worth your time to appreciate St. Andrew's quietly beautiful fusion of English and Moorish architecture, and especially, to meet its lovely caretaker.
• Old American Legation, 8 rue d'America (☎05 39 93 53 17), The old American embassy is probably the only place in Morocco where you'll find a picture of Barack Obama hanging next to an image of the current king, Mohammed VI. This quirky tidbit is just the latest installment in a long history of US-Morocco relations, which the Old American Legation examines through a series of entertaining exhibits. Historical artifacts include correspondence between George Washington and his “great and magnanimous friend” Sultan Moulay ben Abdelah, who was the first international leader to recognize American independence. The most hilarious piece in the collection is a letter from the consul, detailing his attempt to unsuccessfully refuse a gift of lions from the sultan. You can pay a special visit to the downstairs room dedicated to expat writer Paul Bowles, check out photos from Tangier's storied “interzone” days, or read an old favorite in the library of English fiction and poetry. The curator gives excellent tours upon request, but calling first is the pol
• Dar al-Makhzen, Pl. de Kasbah (☎05 39 93 20 97), As you stroll through the arches and columns of the Dar al-Makhzen museum, you can dream about what it would be like to rule Tangier from an opulent palace of your own, decked out with tapestries, intricate carvings and traditional music echoing through the halls. Since there are no more ruling pashas in Tangier—and since you are definitely not one of them—you'll have to settle instead for exploring the former palace's room-by-room exhibits of Tangier's fascinating history, from pre-Roman to Islamic times. Your inner archaeologist will delight in the lead sarcophagi, funerary urns, pottery, and the gorgeous Roman mosaic depicting the voyage of Venus, and your inner poet will want to sit for hours listening to the birds and the breeze in the massive interior garden. Does not take credit cards.
• Markets, It's not too tough to find Tangier's nifty markets. If you haven't already wandered through them several times, simply make your way south of the Grand Socco's traffic circle down Rue Salah Idine al-Ayoubi. You'll pass vendors selling fresh fish, garlands of flowers, colorful robes (jelbaab), traditional shoes, giant watermelons, and spices from saffron to parsley. For a really local market farther from the tourist center, head up Rue de Belgique away from Pl. de France and turn left down Rue Hollande. At the corner of Rue Ibn Baddis, you'll descend steps into the dirty and fun Spanish Market, which caters to local food and livestock demand. The markets are worth wandering into, but not worth seeking out. Does not take credit cards.