Beyond Andalucia, Towns, Villages and Cities
Tetouan – A Unique Experience
Just one hours drive south of Ceuta, or 45 minutes if you hire a grand taxi, is the old capital of the Spanish Protectorate Zone, Tetouan. As you approach the city you will see that it is set amidst orange groves on a ridge of rock that leads back to the foothills of the Rif mountains that loom up to the south and west. The sea is not far off on your left hand. Due to its strategic position Tetouan has a colourful history dating back to the 3rd century BC.
It has been, at different times, a Neolithic town, a Roman town sacked in 42 AD, a Muslim city, a refuge for Barbary pirates, a ruin, a haven for Andalucian Muslim and Jewish refugees in the 15th century, a part of the ‘French Sphere of Influence’ in 1904, the capital of the Spanish Protectorate Zone in 1912, the scene of Franco’s famous ‘proclamation of uprising’ against the Spanish Republican Government in 1936 that marked the beginning of the Spanish Civil War, nominally independent in 1956 and finally most recently, a university town. It is no wonder that sat at the Café Paris in the Place Moulay el Mehdi enjoying a café au lait, you are struck by the mix of cultures on display.
The Café Paris is most definitely French, as are most of the buildings surrounding the cafe. The people being disgorged from taxis nearby however are assuredly Moroccan from the Rif mountains and surrounding villages, many of them wearing traditional dress on their way to the Medina with hand crafted goods that are packed into the boot. Alongside and mixed in with these affluent merchants are those with donkeys and camels piled high with goodness knows what and hand carts, many heaped with fish from the nearby ports of Martil and Mdiq. Behind and above the Place Moulay el Mehdi is the Kasbah, recognisably Moorish, whilst to the east is the Boulevard Mohammed V that leads you to Place Hassan II overlooking which is the very Spanish Royal Palace.
The Café Paris will soon become a second home. It is here that the official guides gather, which is useful to know, especially if it is a Saturday or Sunday when the tourist information office is closed. Here you will also obtain a taxi if you need one and it seems that if you agree to meet anybody it will always be at the Café Paris. For a trip to the Medina an official guide is definitely recommended. The touts are some of the most persistent in Morocco and the Medina, though small in area, is a rabbit warren of narrow dark alleys. Kif (hashish) from the Rif mountains is still traded widely and illegally in the Medina.
With a guide in tow the Medina is a fascinating place. Remember that you are paying the guide. If you do not want to visit his various friends and relatives who sell everything from jewellery to carpets to leather goods to clothing then tell him at the outset. If on the other hand you are interested in making purchases then his advice is useful. The Medina is split into different areas, all selling different types of products. There are small workshops to the left and right with the goods spilling out into the narrow alley. Interspersed with these workshops are the fresh food stalls, meat, fish and bread and pastries that are cooked in the bread oven at the back of the workshop. On the cobbles are crates of live chickens and scrawny cats patrolling their ‘patch’. Tetouan is known for its carpets, wall hangings, throws and rugs that are hand made by the nomads and Bedouin in the Rif mountains and transported to the city by camel. The local ceramics are also famous; hand crafted and glazed in a method that hasn’t changed for over four thousand years. Whilst all the hustle and bustle is interesting enough it is not unique, what makes this Medina different from any other is its architecture.
In the 15th century many of the Andalucian Jews and Muslims, expelled from Spain, found there way to Tetouan. It was these people that built the Medina we see today using the style with which they were most familiar. You will see the typical Spanish wrought iron grilles and balcony railings and the tiled facades that you would associate with Cordoba or Seville. If it were not for the colourful Moroccan clothes you could easily imagine you were in either city.
The Medina is not just a collection of souks, it is also an area where people live. It is impossible to judge from the outside just what lies behind any of the doors be they plain or ornate. There are for instance 47 mosques tucked away in the Medina and mixed in with the very small, dingy, poor properties near the Grand Mosque there are some that obviously belonged to wealthy families with large rooms ornately furnished. Two can be easily visited, one being a restaurant and one being a carpet and craft warehouse. From the roof of the latter there are panoramic views across the Medina and Tetouan.
The house doors carry a number of messages. The year the property was built is normally displayed above the door in glazed tiles. Then the pattern of studs and other door ornaments indicated to others the town in Andalucia from which that family originated. The area or souk in which the property stands also informed on the religion of the occupants.
Finally, leaving the Medina to return to your hotel or Ceuta, a note on the taxis. There are two sorts, grand taxis which are all Mercedes 350 saloons in different states of dilapidation and the rest that should be ignored. Take as much care choosing your taxi as you would choosing a second hand car. Kick the tyres, make sure there are four, tread is optional although it is good if they are inflated. When you ask about the existence of brakes it is a bad sign when the driver suddenly knows no English. ‘Fait cette voiture ont des freins?’ is the same question in French which will be his second language. Push each corner down to test the suspension. What happens is the Moroccans, to save money, have collective taxis. You start a journey with one passenger and end up with a car full of eight or as many as it takes to bottom the suspension, all chattering away. The chances are you will be totally ignored, not to mention sat upon, and end up further from your destination than you were when you got in the car. You will be asked when you climb aboard if you are prepared to share.
Tetouan is a unique experience. You are not likely to find any place quite like it in Spain or Morocco. If you have the chance go there you will find the people are extremely friendly.