Modern day Tetouan is built on the shoulders of three different cultures. It was founded by a mix of Muslim and Jewish refugees fleeing from southern Spain in the fifteenth century.
The Spanish finally caught up with Tetouan in the middle of the nineteenth century when they held it for three years, before a far more serious occupation in 1913 when it became the administrative centre of the Spanish Protectorate Zone until the advent of Moroccan independence in 1956.
Signs of Tetouan’s mixed parentage can be seen everywhere, not least in the medina, where the Muslim, Jewish and Amazigh sections are still obvious. The large Church of Bacturia holds Mass every Sunday, while the Jewish mellah can still be seen. And while the official language in Tetouan is Arabic, it’s easy to hear the distinct rapid fire sounds of Spanish still being spoken.
As well as the town itself you can visit the Ethnographic Museum to see examples of Riffian and Jibala traditional crafts, or take a trip to the Ensanche on the Place el Jala, where you can see displays of Moroccan artefacts from the Roman and Phoenician eras.