Tétouan (ⵜⵉⵟⵟⴰⵡⵉⵏ)
- Maximus Nostramabus
- Jul 22, 2019
- 5 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
Whitewashed multicultural city - Medina of Tétouan (formerly known as Titawin) 837
What and Why
The story of the city itself gives a hint of the multi-cultural history of Tétouan (Tamazight: ⵜⵉⵟⵟⴰⵡⵉⵏ, Tiṭṭawin). Founded in the 3rd century BCE, Tetouan became an important centre during the Roman era and it served as the main point of contact between Morocco (ⵍⵎⵖⵔⵉⴱ, Lmeɣrib) and Andalusia until the 15th century. After all the city occupies a strategic position, as it is located at the foot of the Rif (ⴰⵔⵔⵉⴼ, Ariff) Mountains, near the Strait of Gibraltar and sits along the historic Mediterranean trade routes. This geographical setting contributed significantly to its historical development as a centre of commerce, diplomacy, and cultural exchange.
After the reconquest (Spanish: Reconquista), the town was rebuilt by Andalusian Muslim and Jew refugees who had been expelled from Spain (Spanish: España), bringing with them their own culture, architecture, and traditions. This became the defining moment in Tetouan's history occurred after the fall of Muslim Spain. Amongst them was Ali Al-Mandri Al-Gharnati (Arabic: أبو الحسن علي المنظري), a nobleman from Granada who rebuilt Tetouan during late 15th century. Al-Mandri and the newcomers transformed the city into a major centre of Andalusian culture. The refugees brought with them architectural styles, music and craft traditions, cuisine. Even today, traces of Andalusian identity remain deeply embedded in local life.
The culture and architecture of the medina (Arabic: مدينة, madīnah) hence shows a mosaic of Spanish and Islamic culture. As mentioned, the city is also famed for its fine craftsmanship and musical artistry, with this multi-cultural ingredients. For this reason, Tétouan is also part of the UNESCO creative cities network and was named 'City of Crafts and Folk Art' in 2017.
The city, according to Arabic folklore, was a white dove and the main trading port with Europe.
Toponymy
The Berber name of the city means literally 'eye' which comes from the story that the Goths (Gothic: 𐌲𐌿𐍄𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌳𐌰, Gutþiuda) bestowed the government of the town upon a woman with one eye and the residents called it Tetteguin, meaning 'eye' in their language.
See
Medina (ⵎⵉⴷⵉⵏⴰ)
I have to say that I came to Tétouan with the sole aim to take a box, without too much expectation. I obviously know the heritage it carries, but the thing is Tétouan is fairly small and incredibly untouched by tourism. As a result, it can feel quite bland and unexciting.
The whitewashed medina, as picture above from an elevated position, is clearly the focus. Unlike other Moroccan medinas, Tétouan offers a unique perspective on the multi-cultural history of northern Morocco and because of its relatively small size, it offers visitors a chance to explore without getting lost. There are three main distinct sections: the Spanish-Moorish, the Jewish, and the Berber; although it is almost impossible to differentiate to the naked untrained eye.
The medina overall layout reflects classical Islamic principles of urban organisation while incorporating Andalusian influences. The entire medina is built with white limestone as it reduces heat, and reminds me of the famous Santorini (Greek: Σαντορίνη) of Greece (Greek: Ελλάδα, Elláda). The things to look for in the medina is the harmony across religion, which is significantly different from what we perceive from an Islamic country. The medina is also characterised by narrow streets and green-tiled roofs, with intricately designed mosques and fountains. The Andalusian style is evident in the intricate tile work, known as zellige (Arabic: زليج, zillīj) which reflect the craftsmanship of artisans who settled in Tétouan after being expelled from Spain. The compact design also provides protection from winds, social cohesion and defensive advantages.
Bab Tut (باب توت)
The main gate to the medina. Naturally, the city gates historically controlled trade and movement while serving symbolic and defensive functions. Inside the kasbah (Arabic: قَـصَـبَـة, qaṣabah) there are loads of shops in the labyrinth. We did not get lost, in spite of the narrow alleyways!
Tetouan remains one of Morocco's leading centres of craftsmanship. According to my guide, important traditions include embroidery, leatherwork, ceramics and wood carving.
Many arts and crafts can be traced directly to Andalusian artisans who settled in the city centuries ago, now highlighted as an UNESCO Creative City.
We walked into a wet market inside the kasbah.
Isaac Ben Walid Synagogue (בית הכנסת של יצחק בן וואליד)
A large Jewish community, expelled from Spain, settled in Tétouan at the end of the Christian reconquest during the 16th century CE. In fact, Tetouan historically housed one of Morocco's most important Jewish communities.
This Jewish community, being what they were good at, played a central role in the economic development of the city by managing almost all trade, finance and diplomatic links with Europe.
Royal Palace (قصر ملكي)
The royal palace sits distinctively in a large square within the medina, with a clear Art-Deco and Islamic feel.
Tannery (المدبغة)
There is a smaller tannery in Tétouan, but compared to its counterpart in Fez (ⴼⴰⵙ), it is very small, less attractive, less smelly and not as famous. Having said that leatherwork has always been an important craft in Tétouan, with artisans producing high-quality leather goods, including bags, shoes, and belts. The city’s leather artisans use traditional techniques that have been preserved over centuries, ensuring the continuation of this cultural heritage. Perhaps I had been to the Fez (ⴼⴰⵙ) tannery, this one is really quite unimpressive.
Chefchaouen (ⴰⵛⵛⴰⵡⵏ)
I have to admit that the medina of Tetouan is not totally uninteresting, compared to its more celebrated and extremely well-visited neighbour in Chefchaouen (ⴰⵛⵛⴰⵡⵏ, Ashawen), it is very untouristy. Chefchaouen offers the best photospots in Morocco through its gorgeously beautiful bluish medina. Basically instead of white, the whole city is painted blue.
The alleys are beautiful to watch and explore.
The name is derived from its Arabic roots 'شفشاون' with '-chef' meaning 'to look', and '-chaoun' meaning 'horns', which reflects that it is sitting between the two steep mountains of Rif, as if looking at two horns. The blue colour is said to symbolise the city's spiritual connexion with the sky. The other obsession of Chefchaoun is that it is a main producer of cannabis, and there are loads of these touts around in its central plaza.
After visiting Chefchaouen, Tétouan has literally been forgotten!
Experience, Buy and Do
Both Tétouan and Chefchouan are famous for their leather products. Remember to haggle.
Eat and Drink
Zaâzaâ (زعزع)
There is a local avocado-almond milkshake in the name of Zaâzaâ (Arabic: زعزع) which is a Moroccan specialty. We had our lunch in the very popular Bab Ssour (Arabic:باب صور) in Chefchaouen. Very good and deserves all the hype.
Travel Suggestions and Logistics
Tétouan does not worth more than half-a-day as it is really not that big. I recommend spending at least a day in the more interesting Chefchaouen though.
The best itinerary would be to combine Tétouan, Chefchouan and Tangier (ⵟⴰⵏⴵⴰ, Ṭanjah), where there is an international airport, along the northern Moroccan coastline for a three or four day road-trip. From Tangier one can also extend the itinerary to the Spanish exclave of Ceuta or take a ferry to Gibraltar.
UNESCO Inscription
Tétouan was of particular importance in the Islamic period, from the 8th century onwards, since it served as the main point of contact between Morocco and Andalusia. After the Reconquest, the town was rebuilt by Andalusian refugees who had been expelled by the Spanish. This is well illustrated by its art and architecture, which reveal clear Andalusian influence. Although one of the smallest of the Moroccan medinas, Tétouan is unquestionably the most complete and it has been largely untouched by subsequent outside influences.
References
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Please share your thoughts and comments about the blog. If you need suggestions to build a travel itinerary, please let me know. More than willing to help. I would also like to build a bespoke-in-depth travel community around UNESCO WHS and ICH.
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