Tangier: The Markets in the Market

Some explaining is needed for that title. Tangier’s ‘old town,’ the medina is, as in other Moroccan cities, a maze of wandering streets and alleys, many of them lined with shops and stands selling all sorts of goods: essentially a souk, or market.

But within that, we were looking for the Fish Market, which we had passed on a bus, an Art Deco-looking exterior and, we were told, amazing to visit. As we headed down the Rue de la Plage, sloping down toward our goal, we were distracted by a glance down a hallway and some steps to a brilliant display of olives.

Naturally, we followed the trail, observed the dozens of varieties piled in neat pyramids and mounds, and even bought some giardiniera to enjoy later.

But, of course, the olives weren’t the end of it. Aisles and alleys stretched in many directions, with all sorts of food and household merchandise on offer. Some were in a straight line, some were up a few steps, and some sprawled down stairways.

After a sort of U-turn, we found ourselves heading once again sort of down-hill and sort-of in the direction of the fish market, finding ourselves in a world of meat along the way.

That included some less often seen in more familiar markets, including rabbits, roosters and pigeons with markings matching those you’d find in the street.

In front of one of the meat counters, we met this man, whose speed and skill at shelling beans while chatting and not looking down was amazing.

And finally, perhaps half an hour after we’d started out toward it, we passed down another set of steps and into the fish market, whose smell was notable by its absence—surprising with that much fish on hand!

Tuna was on the menu everywhere we went, and this may be where it was coming from. This was the largest of several really large fish in the market. As well as fish of nearly every kind, there were also plenty of prawns, and even a few buckets of eels.

When we left the fish market at the bottom of the hill and looked back up the street, I was amazed to see how far we had come, both in distance and elevation!

Congratulations to George G, who correctly identified the location of our title image as our One-Clue Mystery this week