Saturday 31 January 2015

Navigating Tangier’s Labyrinth

navigating-tangiers-labyrinth
The medina in Tangier,  at the mouth of the Mediterranean roughly nine miles from Spain, is a jumble of blind alleys and intersections. The buildings huddle close together, creating a jumble of blind angles and six-dimensional intersections, making it easy to wander aimlessly.
From above, the medina's narrow alleyways look like a befuddling labyrinth.
the-casbah-the-walled-fortress-atop-the-medina-provides-views-of-the-straits
The Casbah, the walled fortress atop the medina, provides views of the Straits.
a-seaside-institution-cafe-el-hafa-entices-visitors-to-sit-on-one-of-its-dozen-terraces
A seaside institution, Cafe El Hafa entices visitors to sit on one of its dozen terraces.
a-fruit-market-open-late-at-the-edge-of-the-tangier-medina
A fruit market open late at the edge of the Tangier medina.

the-place-du-9-avril-at-night
The Place du 9 Avril at night.

Source : http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/09/03/travel/20100912TANGIER.html

Lost in Tangier

lost-in-tangier
The Tangier medina, with its narrow alleyways, interplay of courtyards, arches and domes dotted with cafes and shops.More Photos »

Best city for autumn 2011: Tangier, Morocco

best-city-for-autumn-2011-tangier-morocco
Tangier is a different world, yet barely a stone’s throw from Europe. Year’s end is the ideal time to explore the city, an evocative place full of faded glories and devoid of tourist gloss. After the oven-heat of summer, the North African climate reaches the perfect balance in autumn. There’s guaranteed warmth without having to change time zones, and the city positively invites languorous basking outside cafés and sun-splashed ambles along the beach.
Time a trip here for September, when the 12th Tanjazz festival sees the city fill with international and local musicians, providing the ideal soundtrack to a visit. There will be ballroom dancing classes, free concerts at the port and gigs in cafés, restaurants and hotels.
Getting ThereRoyal Air Maroc and Iberia fly from London to Tangier, with one stop in Casablanca or Madrid (from £220 return). Alternatively, you could make your way to Algeciras in Spain, and take the ferry across to Tangier (£70 return).
Place to stay: La Tangerina
La Tangerina is a 10-room guesthouse just inside the medina. It's a beautifully restored, whitewashed colonial house set around a courtyard. Rooms are decorated with simple flair and feature antique furniture and vintage radios. There are stupendous sea and medina views from the roof terrace (doubles from £40; latangerina. com).
Book for dinner: Riad Tanja
The elegant restaurant at Riad Tanja has French windows opening on to its balconies, with views across to the Ville Nouvelle (New Town) on the hill opposite. Creative cuisine combines modern Moroccan and international flavours (meals around £25; riadtanja.com).
Coffee stop: Al Mountazah
The rooftop terrace of Al Mountazah, overlooking Grand Socco, Tangier's main square, is the city's best location for morning coffee. The square is a focus of general hubbub, watched over by the historic Cinema Rif (now Cinémathèque Tanger). Breakfast on café au lait and pastries (coffee £1; Grand Socco).
Seaside stroll: Tangier's beach
For fresh air, wide-open blue horizons, and escape from the inner-city hustle, head for Tangier's beach - it has a long corniche and an extensive swathe of pale sand. Take a waterfront walk or watch locals play football. But do resist the urge to plunge into the waters, which are not clean enough for swimming.
In the rare event it rains: The Tangier American Legation Museum
The Tangier American Legation Museum occupies a five-storey mansion. It's a treasure trove of Tangerine arts and artefacts, including a room dedicated to Paul Bowles (sometime Tangier resident, author of The Sheltering Sky) and the Beat Generation. There's also a map room lined with ancient parchments (admission free; legation.org).
Hammam retreat: Hotel El Minzah
It's possible to combine the traditional hammam experience with some 20th-century splendour at the spa in historic Spanish- Moorish El Minzah Hotel. Built by French architects in 1933, it has a gym with a view out to sea, sauna, hot tub, swimming pool and Turkish bath, and offers treatments such as massages and facials (massage from £12; elminzah.com).
Souvenir stop: Ensemble Artisanal
To get an idea of the wealth of Moroccan art and crafts available, and to suss out prices before heading into the souqs, visit the government-backed arts and crafts centre Ensemble Artisanal - a relaxed place to start a day's shopping. Artisans can also be seen at work here on everything from leather to copper and pottery to wood (corner of Rue Belgique and Rue M'sallah).
Best place for a sundowner: Caid's Bar
Still the best place for a drink in Tangier is the 1930s classic Caid's Bar, an inspiration for Casablanca. It's a relic of the city's grander days: drink in the atmosphere and wallow in the sense of if-these-walls-could-talk, plastered as they are with photos of the famous and infamous who have had a tipple here (drinks around £2.50; elminzah.com).
Leisurely lunch: Le Saveur de Poisson
Expect hearty meals at this family-run fish restaurant with a fantastic fixed-price menu. Start with olives and almonds served with different breads, move on to a fish soup, followed by an aromatic fish tagine, before finishing with a honey, nut and cinnamon couscous seffa. You'll need a refreshing fruit cocktail to wash it all down (fixed-price menu £11.50; 2 Escalier Waller).

The article ‘Best city for autumn 2011: Tangier, Morocco’ was published in partnership with Lonely Planet Magazine.
Source : http://www.bbc.com/travel/feature/20110126-best-city-for-autumn-2011-tangier-morocco

Wednesday 21 January 2015

The Purisima Churches iun Tangier - Catholic Churches in Tangier -

The Purisima Churches  iun Tangier   - Catholic Churches in Tangier -
The Purisima Churches  iun Tangier   - Catholic Churches in Tangier -

 A small church located  In market called " Souk dakhil " with a spanish design

The Purisima Churches  iun Tangier   - Catholic Churches in Tangier -

The Purisima Churches  iun Tangier   - Catholic Churches in Tangier -

The French catholic In Tangier -Catholic Churches in Tangier -

The French catholic In Tangier -Catholic Churches in Tangier -
The French catholic In Tangier
Many tourists are surprised to see that tangier has two large catholic churches. The French catholic church is located next to the Police Station or Comissaria near Place De Nations. The Spanish Catholic Church is located near the Spanish Consulate in Iberia Rondpoint. Tourists expecting to see only minarets are often confused by these large catholic churches in Tangier. They were constructed during the time that Tangier was an International Zone, jointly ruled by the US, France, Spain, Italy and other European powers. During this time Tangier had an enormous expatriate population, numbering in the many tens of thousands. Other Tourist attractions that were important during the time of the Tangier International Zone include the Cervantes Theater, the Cap Spartel lighthouse, and the various Tangier Cinemas built during that time.

The Spanish Church of the Immaculate Conception,or La Purisima

The Spanish Church of the Immaculate Conception,also called La Purisima
The Spanish Church of the Immaculate Conception,also called La Purisima
 The Spanish Church of the Immaculate Conception,also called La Purisima,was erected in 1871,when Spanish  government acquired the building for a residential development of Franciscan monks in Catholic mission in Morocco.The  inauguration of that Religious Temple took place in 1880 and it is dedicated to the Immaculate Virgin.You can admire a small patio with orange  trees reminding the famous Andalusian courtyards of Cordoba and Seville and a beautiful  tower.Nearby the Church you can see a painted wall of the British Bank of West Africa located there in the  past and also the building Dar Niaba, the old French Legation residence dated the year 1820 with a beautiful  Moorish courtyard and a charming rectangular stoned portal.


The Spanish Church of the Immaculate Conception,also called La Purisima

The Spanish Church of the Immaculate Conception,also called La Purisima

The Spanish Church of the Immaculate Conception,also called La Purisima

Church of Saint Andrew, Tangier

Saint Andrew church Tangier

Saint Andrew church Tangier



In 1880, Hassan I of Morocco donated land to the British community in order to build a small Anglican church in Tangier. After a church was built, it was found that it was not sufficient for the increasing number of worshippers, and a new one was built in 1894 which became the Church of Saint Andrew. It was consecrated in 1905.[2] The interior is designed as a fusion of numerous styles, notably Moorish. The belltower, shaped like a minaret, overlooks the adjacent cemetery.
Among the people commemorated in the church is Emily Keene, Sherifa of Wazzan (1849-1944), who introduced the cholera vaccine to Morocco. She was a British humanitarian who married the Shareef of Ouazzane, a local religious leader. She died in Tangier and there is a plaque in the western side of the church to commemorate her - her actual grave is in the Wazzan family burial ground in the Marshan district of Tangier overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar.
Those buried in the church grounds include Sir Harry MacLean (1848–1920), Paul Lund (1915–1966) and Walter Harris, (1866–1933), a British writer. Also buried in the churchyard is Alexandria-born Claire de Menasce and her second husband Commander Roy Howell RN; Claude-Marie Vincendon, her daughter by her first marriage, was the third wife of Lawrence Durrell.


Saint Andrew church Tangier

Saint Andrew church Tangier

Source http://en.wikipedia.org

monday 29/12/2014 two days before christmas 2015 , a sunny day in tangier beach - playa- Mohamed 6 In morocco .



Monday  29/12/2014 two days before christmas 2015 , a sunny day in tangier beach - playa- Mohamed 6 In morocco .

Tuesday 20 January 2015

Museum of Moroccan Art - Unique Collections of Moroccan Artwork

museum-of-moroccan-arts-tangier-morocco
Museum of Moroccan Art - Unique Collections of Moroccan Artwork
The Museum of Moroccan Art (Dar el Makhzen) is located in the Medina of Tangier. The Museum was formerly a palace that was built in the 17th century for the use of the Governor. You can contact the museum on (212 9) 93 20 97 and it is open from Monday to Wednesday at 08:30 am to 18:00 pm.
The Museum of Moroccan Art is situated on beautiful grounds and is located specifically in the prince’s apartments at the palace. These rooms are exquisite and decorated with sculpted plasterwork and mosaics completed in colored marble and glass tile pieces. The prince’s apartments are finished off with beautiful wooden ceilings that have been painted.
Housed in the Museum of Moroccan Art are unique collections of artwork that come from different cities and towns in different regions of Morocco. These art pieces act as celebrated ambassadors, representing the entire country. Before you walk into the palace you will notice a unique and stunning interior courtyard, which is beautifully enameled in glazed earthenware.
In the northern rooms of the Museum of Moroccan Art there are a number of firearms decorating the walls. These firearms have been decorated with marquetry, which is a decorating technique that makes use of hot pieces of glass. The hot glass is applied to the surface of the firearm and later, when it has cooled, it is carved to produce a stunning piece of artwork. The museum also showcases intricate textiles and tile work, a variety of leather goods, stunning pieces of Moroccan Jewelry, Moroccan brass and copper products and rural earthenware crockery.
On the walls of the museum you will also observe pottery pieces that have been engraved with motifs of feathers and flowers and other similar decorations. In another room there are exquisite carpets from Rabat that have been beautifully woven, incorporating the characteristic medallion associated with the city. In the Fez room you will find silks that have been dyed in every color imaginable. There are manuscripts written using calligraphy and dishes that are centuries of years old and come in an array of vibrant colors. There is also embroidery work that has been beautifully stitched with real gold and a number of other Moroccan artifacts.
The Museum of Moroccan Art is a wonderful collection of handcrafted goods, which you definitely do not want to miss.

Saturday 17 January 2015

Perdicaress Forest (rmilat Forest) in Tangier a wonderful forest

Tangier-forest-rmillat- Perdicaris-Morocoo-Mediterranean-sea
Perdicaress Forest or rmilat Forest in Tangier a wonderful forest

Tangier-forest-rmillat- Perdicaris-Morocoo-Mediterranean-sea

Tangier-forest-rmillat- Perdicaris-Morocoo-Mediterranean-sea

Tangier-forest-rmillat- Perdicaris-Morocoo-Mediterranean-sea

Tangier-forest-rmillat- Perdicaris-Morocoo-Mediterranean-sea

Tangier-forest-rmillat- Perdicaris-Morocoo-Mediterranean-sea

Tangier-forest-rmillat- Perdicaris-Morocoo-Mediterranean-sea

Tangier-forest-rmillat- Perdicaris-Morocoo-Mediterranean-sea

Tangier-forest-rmillat- Perdicaris-Morocoo-Mediterranean-sea

Morocco Tangier beach (playa)

tangier-beach-playa-mycitytangier-morocco-tanger
 Tangier beach one of the most beatifull beach in Morocco 
tangier-beach-playa-mycitytangier-morocco-tanger

tangier-beach-playa-mycitytangier-morocco-tanger

tangier-beach-playa-mycitytangier-morocco-tanger

Old Medina of Tangier - Morocco -

Tangier mediina old city Tanger ancienne ville المدينة القديمة  طنجة
Old Medina of Tangier  - Morocco - 

Tangier's Medina (Old City) tumbles down the cliff towards the ocean in a labyrinth of narrow alleyways. The central vortex of Medina life is the square known as the Petit Socco, where old men sit for hours drinking tea and playing backgammon. During its fast-paced past, the Medina was a playground for author Paul Bowles and America'slegendary Beatnik literary figures such as Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and William Burroughs. Wandering around this area is a must for Tangier visitors.
Just west of the Petit Socco on Rue Siaghine is The Church of the Immaculate Conception, built by the Spanish in 1880. East of the square is the Grand Mosque. In the southeast corner of the Old City is the Old American Legation, once the US consulate building and the oldest American diplomatic post. The museum inside traces the history of the relationship between the US and Morocco: as Morocco was one of the first countries to recognise American independence, the US established its legation in Tangier in 1821. The interesting exhibits inside include George Washington's famous letter to Mouilay Abdullah.


Tangier mediina old city Tanger ancienne ville المدينة القديمة  طنجة

Tangier mediina old city Tanger ancienne ville المدينة القديمة  طنجة

Tangier mediina old city Tanger ancienne ville المدينة القديمة  طنجة