Al Nassr secures 5-1 victory over Al Ain to edge closer to knockout stage    Saudi Deputy FM meets Lt. Gen. Al-Burhan of Sudan    Al-Khateeb: Saudi Arabia is the largest global investor in tourism sector "Saudi Land" pavilion inaugurated at World Travel Market in London    Saudi Crown Prince, Japanese PM discuss over phone efforts made to achieve peace in the region    Saudi Arabia, in its drive to enrich Arab culture, launches Arab Week at UNESCO in Paris    Neymar exits Al Hilal match with muscle injury, leaving fans disappointed    AlHisn Big Time Studios unveiled to transform film and TV production in Riyadh    Saudi Arabia approves cooperation agreement with US for the use of outer space for peaceful purposes    Quality of Life Program CEO highlights Saudi urban transformations at UN-Habitat conference in Cairo    Almarai wins 'Best Corporate Sukuk' at Asset Triple A Islamic Finance Awards    Top climber falls to death after rare Himalayan feat    US voters flying home in time for election    Drones and snipers on standby to protect Arizona vote-counters    India's Modi condemns violence after Canada temple incident    Elon Musk can keep giving $1m to voters, judge rules    Mitrovic's hat-trick leads Al Hilal to 3-0 victory over Esteghlal    Al Ahli extends perfect start with 5-1 victory over Al Shorta    Quincy Jones, titan of US music, dies aged 91    Hidden sugars in Asia's baby food spark concerns    HONOR unveils pre-order of the stunning HONOR MagicBook Art 14 Featuring an ultra-slim design, HONOR Eye Comfort Display and AI Cross-OS WorkStation    India puts blockbuster Pakistani film on hold    The Vikings and the Islamic world    Filipino pilgrim's incredible evolution from an enemy of Islam to its staunch advocate    Muted Eid celebrations for millions of Nigerian Muslims    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



A fabled city gets a new shine
By Gisela Williams
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 24 - 12 - 2008

DUSK was falling on Tangier and small cliques of nattily dressed expats were sipping mint tea and socializing on the top floor of the Hôtel Nord-Pinus, a sumptuous riad-style guesthouse in the Casbah. A gentle sea breeze wafted through the arched doorways and filled the stylish lounge, decorated with embroidered Moroccan pillows and modern photography, with an air of exclusivity.
Down the street, a different scent drifted from the fabled Café Hafa, once the haunt of Beat poets and musicians like the Rolling Stones. Two dozen young men were sitting on battered folding chairs, several discreetly smoking kif — tobacco blended with hashish. This Moroccan port has always been a city of extremes — a surreal crossroads where Northern Africa meets Europe, the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic Ocean, and hedonism and history seem to intermix.
But while the gritty authenticity of Tangier is still there, a new generation of artists and expats is giving this fabulously shabby port a new shine.
As recently as the last decade, Tangier was still considered a down-on-its-luck town riddled with drugs and hustlers. But while sleazy dives, decayed buildings and dark alleys can still be found, a stylish new Tangier has emerged, fueled by royal investments and a thriving arts community. There are now renovated architecture gems like the '40s Cinémathèque de Tanger, quirky boutiques loaded with one-of-a-kind objects, and cafes that draw a sophisticated but idiosyncratic crowd.
That crowd today includes the supermodel Jacquetta Wheeler, Bruno Frisoni, the designer for Roger Vivier, and the French writer Bernard-Henri Lévy, who recently bought a starkly modern house next door to the Café Hafa.
Much of Tangier's renaissance can be traced back to Morocco's young king, the 45-year-old Mohammed VI. Unlike his father — the late King Hassan II who ruled Morocco for 38 years and was said to have despised Tangier — the new king is an enthusiastic champion.
Instead of an urban wasteland, he sees Tangier as a cultural and commercial gateway between Africa and Europe. The young king installed Mohamed Hassad, a forward-thinking politician known for turning around Marrakesh, as the governor of the Tangier region. The king was also the driving force behind Tanger Med, a giant new cargo port whose administrative center was designed by the French architect Jean Nouvel. Also in the works is a high-speed train network that would cut the travel time between Tangier and Marrakesh to less than three hours.
Despite the changes, the surreal jumble of Escheresque alleyways, crooked white facades and shady courtyards that make up Tangier's historic heart hasn't changed since Bowles wrote “Without Stopping,” his 1972 autobiography that recounts his itinerant love affair with North Africa.
In it, Bowles described Tangier as “rich in prototypal dream scenes: covered streets like corridors with doors opening into rooms on each side, hidden terraces high above the sea, streets consisting only of steps, dark impasses, small squares built on sloping terrain so that they looked like ballet sets designed in false perspective, with alleys leading off in several directions; as well as the classical dream equipment of tunnels, ramparts, ruins, dungeons and cliffs.”
And the slightly sinister and exotic underbelly that inspired Burroughs's “Naked Lunch” is still found at places like Café Hafa and Café Central, a faded coffeehouse in the seedy but always buzzing Petit Socco square, where everyone seems to have something to hustle among the fin-de-siècle facades.
But there is also a glamorous new side to Tangier, where socialites air kiss by the palm-lined swimming pool at La Villa Josephine, a lavish hillside retreat. Or where coiffed ladies nibble on prawn cocktails at the restaurant of the Le Mirage resort, built on a cliff overlooking an expanse of caramel-colored sand.
On a breezy Friday afternoon last summer, Le Mirage was filled with wealthy Moroccans, bronzed European families and ladies dressed in Palm Beach whites and peacock-colored caftans. They sat on a portico-shaded terrace, exchanging gossip about other expats and recent trips to Marbella, Spain. Burroughs wouldn't have lasted two minutes in this crowd.
“There's a wonderful term in ornithology that is perfect for the kind of people that end up here,” said Elena Prentice, an American painter and philanthropist who lives in Tangier.
“They are called accidentals, birds that end up in an area they don't really belong. Everyone in Tangier is some form of accidental.”
GETTING THERE
Royal Air Maroc, Delta and Iberia Airlines fly from New York City to Tangier, but require a stopover, usually in Casablanca, Madrid or Barcelona.
Round-trip fares for travel next month start at around $950, according to a recent Web search. Tangier's historic center is easily explored on foot.
WHERE TO STAY
The two-year old Hôtel Nord-Pinus Tanger (11 Rue du Riad Sultan; 212-61-228-140; www.nord-pinus-tanger.com) is arguably the most luxurious riad in the Casbah. The interiors of its one double room and four suites are richly detailed with Fez tiles, painted leather doors and four-poster brass beds. Rates start at 280 euros (about $360 at $1.29 to the euro), and include airport transfer, and either breakfast and dinner or breakfast and lunch.
Next door is La Tangerina (19 Rue du Riad Sultan, Casbah; 212-39-947-731; www.latangerina.com), a 10-room riad hotel with a small hammam run by a friendly and English-speaking couple. It might not have the glamour of the Nord-Pinus, but the rooms start at 500 dirhams (around $60 at 8.8 dirhams to the dollar).
The Alhambra meets the Hilton at the faded but still prestigious Hotel El Minzah (Rue de la Liberté 85; 212-39-333-444; www.elminzah.com). It has all the expected perks: spa, outdoor pool and garden. Rooms from 1,300 dirhams.
WHERE TO EAT
Helmed by the top chef Moha Fedal, the restaurant at the Riad Tanja hotel (Rue de Portugal; 212-39-333-538; www.riadtanja.com ) serves modern Moroccan cuisine including a delectable pastilla of monkfish. A five-course dinner is about 300 dirhams.
Darna Women's Community Center (Rue Jules Cot, Grand Socco, 212-39-947-065; www.darnamaroc.org) has a simple cafe with an courtyard that is both affordable and fashionable. The menu, which usually includes a soup, salad and a Moroccan dish like chicken tagine, is a bargain at 35 dirhams.
The rustic but friendly Restaurant Populaire Saveur (Escalier Waller 2; 212-39-336-326) is a happy and reliable place for generous plates of Moroccan seafood, including a tasty fish soup and seafood tagines. About 150 dirhams a person.
WHERE TO SHOP
Laure Welfling (3 Place de la Casbah; 212-39-932-083), a boho-chic shop overlooking the Place de la Casbah, is owned by an interior designer who lives in Paris and Tangier. The shop carries a mix of glamorous caftans, handbags and ceramic plates painted by Ms. Welfling's husband.
For Moroccan jewelry, handwoven Berber rugs and African textiles, look no further than Boutique Majid (66 rue les Almouhades, 212-39-938-892; www.boutiquemajid.com), a three-story maze of treasure


Clic here to read the story from its source.