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Tangier


If You See Her Say Hello / Blood On The Tracks / 1975

If you see her, say hello,
she might be in Tangier

Seaport on Morocco's northern coast, west of Gibraltar. Populationa around 500 000. Tourism, connections to Casablanca, Fez, Meknes, and Rabat. Settled 15th C B.C. by Phoenicians, then occupied by the Carthaginians and Romans. In 705 taken by the Arabs.


Date:          Sun, 15 Oct 1995 01:48:11 -0500
Subject:       description of Tangier for Bob Dylan Atlas
To:            Karl.Erik.Andersen@nbr.no
From:          Robin Krieglstein (krieglst@uiuc.edu)
The sleepy, silent boat ride, shrouded in clouds of mist suddenly breaks to expose a panaramic view on the white-washed buildings stacked chaotically up a steep hillside. within a single, mind-blowing half-hour you get swept up into this festival of rich and exotic sights, sounds, smells. It is little wonder that so many authors, artists and musicians have spent so much time in this country. Tangier is the location of William Burroughs "Interpol" from Naked Lunch. Karouac lived and wrote in Tangiers for some time. Jimi Hendrix wandered these gorgeous beaches. It is easily accessible for travellers from Europe and still today it is significantly cheaper to travel through than any countries in Europe so thoughtful "hippies", dreamers, and wanderers have been travelling there for some time.

The people are warm and friendly and constantly wanting to interact with foreigners. The open-air markets are filled with the scent of exotic spices, African handicrafts, goats, chickens, fresh fruits and vegetables, magic potions and Hashish. Moroccan's tend to be very laid back and at ease with life. Cafe's, motor-scooters, and little hole-in-the-wall shops abound. The mood which make Dylan's songs so intoxicating, are alive and well in Tangier, Morocco. (P.S. the Marakesh express still runs!)

Good movies to see about Tangier and Morocco: Nake Lunch, Under a Sheltering Sky, Casablanca, Lawrence of Arabia (filmed in Morocco)


GROLIERS CD-ROM Encyclopedia: Tangier acquired its international character in the 18th century when foreign ambassadors to the Moroccan court were housed there. Because of the strategic location at the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea, the city and the surrounding area were given international status in 1923 and were governed by an international commission. In 1956, Tangier became part of newly independent Morocco.