Tetouan in Morocco
Tetouan, a charming Hispano-Mauresque town, plays on the mixture of cultures whilst remaining guardian and shopwindow for its most beautiful traditions.
Tetouan, a charming Hispano-Mauresque town, plays on the mixture of cultures whilst remaining guardian and shopwindow for its most beautiful traditions.
The medina and El Ensanche
The medina of Tetouan and its unique network of shaded alleyways, is a UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site. Its large mellah (Jewish quarter) was called Little Jerusalem. It is the most lively area after nightfall. Here, the souks are well separated, each trade occupying a precise perimeter. Tarafin street, which is lined with jewellery shops, leads to Hassan II square and the Royal Palace, a fine example of Hispano-Mauresque architecture. To the west, on the modern side, the new town, El Ensanche, can be found. Its small buildings of five storeys maximum, with shops on the ground floor, were built under Spanish protectorate.
The medina of Tetouan and its unique network of shaded alleyways, is a UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site. Its large mellah (Jewish quarter) was called Little Jerusalem. It is the most lively area after nightfall. Here, the souks are well separated, each trade occupying a precise perimeter. Tarafin street, which is lined with jewellery shops, leads to Hassan II square and the Royal Palace, a fine example of Hispano-Mauresque architecture. To the west, on the modern side, the new town, El Ensanche, can be found. Its small buildings of five storeys maximum, with shops on the ground floor, were built under Spanish protectorate.
Museums and schools
The archaeological museum can be found in the medina, close to the Bab Tout gate, and the Moroccan Arts museum next to Bab El Oqla. The former has beautiful mosaics and a multitude of Roman-period artefacts, on loan from the Lixus site. The latter, which is ethnological, exhibits traditional costumes and regional musical instruments. Close to this museum, the trade school teaches allcraft specialisations. The National Fine Arts Institute, founded in 1947 by Mariano Bertuchi, a Spanish painter, has the particularity of having a comic strip teaching section, since 2000. Since 2004, each year it hosts the international Comic Strip festival.
The archaeological museum can be found in the medina, close to the Bab Tout gate, and the Moroccan Arts museum next to Bab El Oqla. The former has beautiful mosaics and a multitude of Roman-period artefacts, on loan from the Lixus site. The latter, which is ethnological, exhibits traditional costumes and regional musical instruments. Close to this museum, the trade school teaches allcraft specialisations. The National Fine Arts Institute, founded in 1947 by Mariano Bertuchi, a Spanish painter, has the particularity of having a comic strip teaching section, since 2000. Since 2004, each year it hosts the international Comic Strip festival.
0 commentaires :
Enregistrer un commentaire