Rock the Kasbah

The Clash song from the early 1980s is a fantasy about an Arab king who bans rock music. Tangiers is a place that has attracted writers, artists, and in more recent history rock musicians. Tangiers has a long history starting with the Phoenicians establishing a presence there perhaps as early as the 10th century BCE and the Greeks followed by the Romans who established what they called Tingis as early as the 5th century BCE. This was followed by conquest in 533 by Justinian I, the Byzantine emperor and then it came under Arab control in the early 8th century. From here the Muslims launched their conquest of Spain and then were repaid by invasion of the Portuguese, expulsion from Spain back to Morocco along with the Jewish community in 1492. It's very complicated and fascinating as every one of these events left its mark.

Because of its geographic location (gateway to Africa and so close to Europe) it drew many different groups of people including writers such as painters Eugene Delacroix and Henri Matisse, writers such as Gore Vidal, William Burroughs, and Paul Bowles, filmmakers such as Jim Jaramuch and musicians like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.

The Kasbah of Tangiers reflects its proximity to the ocean. The buildings are light colored and blue predominates. We've been told mixed reasons for the blue, one that it repels mosquitos and flies (pretty much debunked) and that it started out as a color used by the Jewish community and then adopted by everyone else. You see here the rough outer wall of the kasbah.

Much of Tangiers identity is tied up with its geographic location. It's where the Atlantic and Mediterranean meet and it's only 7 miles from Spain and Gibraltar. Close to Europe with a foot in Africa.

The mosques in Morocco have only one minaret. This is one of the distinctions in Moroccan architecture. Different from the rest of the Muslim world partially because Morocco was never part of the Ottoman Empire. This is one of the octagonal minarets decorated with zellij tile. It dates from the 17th century.

Recently restored and repainted, the entrance to the Jami al-Qasba mosque.

Entrance sign to the Museum of Culture in three languages, Arabic, Berber, and French. Two out of three Moroccans are Berber and it's one of the official languages. France occupied Morocco 1912-1956 (called it a protectorate) and had a huge influence with French still spoken.

The Cafe Baba is a hole in the wall that has been in existence for 76 years. It got notoriety when it was discovered that a group of unknown hippies frequented it (the Rolling Stones) but it was also host to kings of Spain and Sweden, former UN chief Kofi Annan, Patti Smith, Jim Jaramush, etc.

It's still a hangout for Moroccans and travels of course who mostly have no idea who any of the famous visitors were. Kief (marijuana) is legal though dealing is not. Moroccans have a mixed relationship with the weed, tolerant but disdainful.

Don't know whose guitar that is, probably no one of note but the photographs show some of the visitors to the cafe as scenes of Tangiers from the past.

One of the best preserved gates of the Kasbah. Inside are zellij mosaics that influenced Matisse and Delacroix. Saving that for another posting.

One of the strangest sites is the American Legation. Located in the heart of the medina it is the first American property established outside of the US. Morocco was the first country to recognize the United States in 1786 and this is the first property the US government acquired abroad and served as embassy for 140 years. The embassy moved to Rabat and the building fell into disrepair until a group acquired it in 1976 and turned it into a museum and cultural center.