Medina of Tétouan

The medina of Tétouan was rebuilt by the end of the 15th century by refugees from the Reconquista (reconquest of Spain, completed by the fall of Granada in 1492), when the Andalusian Moors first reared the walls and then filled the enclosure with houses. The city is situated in the area of Morocco which was formerly ruled by Spain. It had a reputation for piracy at various times in its history. Tétouan has also been home of an important Sephardi Jewish community, which immigrated from Spain after the Reconquista and the Spanish Inquisition. The Jews lived in a mellah, separated from the rest of the town by gates which were closed at night.

Many of the houses belonging to aristocratic families, descendants of those expelled from Al-Andalus by the Spanish "Reconquista", possess marble fountains and have groves planted with orange trees. Within the houses the ceilings are often exquisitely carved and painted in hispano-moresque designs, such as are found in the Alhambra of Granada, and the tile-work for which Tetuan is known may be seen on floors, pillars and dados.

Year Decision Comments
1997 Inscribed Reasons for inscription

Reviews

Mike (US):
When I went to Tetouan, it was very windy. It had been awhile since I had last been in a medina and it felt nice to be back.
We ran into someone who ended up being a nice guide and showed us all around the medina and gave us a good tour of the medina. He educated us well about Morocco too, and brought us to a nice-looking restaurant to eat traditional Moroccan food.
I previously heard Tetouan has a small medina, but that was not the impression I got. Tetouan is also not as dirty as I heard it was. There is nothing wrong with the site at all, and I had a great experience there.
Date posted: May 2009


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