Tetouan Medina (UNESCO World Heritage)

The medina of Tetouan in northern Morocco is a UNESCO World Heritage site, inscribed in 1997, and one of the best-preserved examples of an Andalusian-style walled town in the Arab world. It was rebuilt in the late fifteenth century by Muslim refugees from Granada and retains that character in its whitewashed houses, tiled fountains and wrought-iron balconies. Visitors usually arrive at Place Hassan II, the former royal palace square, or at the Bab er-Rouah gate, both about ten minutes by petit taxi from the bus station. From there the lanes divide into specialised quarters: the leather and slipper sellers, the Souk el-Hots with produce and fish, the dyers, the coppersmiths and the carpenters. The Mellah, the former Jewish quarter, has distinctive balconies facing the street, and the Bab el-Okla gate area houses the ethnographic museum. A full visit takes three to four hours, and morning is the best time because the souks are busiest and most colourful, and the light is good for photography. Shops run roughly 9:00 to 19:00, with many closed at Friday midday. The medina is far less touristed than Fes or Marrakech, so hawkers are fewer and prices are easier to negotiate. Visitors should expect narrow, sometimes confusing lanes with a number of dead ends, and a map or a local guide can help. The quarter is free and always open. Tetouan's Spanish-influenced new town, Ensanche, begins just outside the walls, and combining the two shows the city's mix of Andalusian and colonial history. The craft schools nearby also give visitors a chance to see carving, zellige and weaving in progress.