Grand Socco

Square in Tangier, Morocco

The Grand Socco (Moroccan Arabic: سوق برا), officially the Place du 9 Avril 1947, is a historic^[1] quasi-circular roundabout square separating the old medina from newer developments in downtown Tangier, Morocco.

Overview

The term socco is a Spanish corruption of the Arabic souk or souq. The Grand Socco is surrounded by a mosque, a few shops, several banks, half a dozen modest restaurants with covered outdoor seating areas, several cafés, the Cinema Rif, an Amendis office and a pharmacy. On one side is the arch entrance to Mendoubia Gardens and another arch leads to the Rue de la Kasbah, also known as Rue d'Italie.

In the mid-1950s many large trees were cut down in the round central outdoor market. Currently, the Grand Socco has a large marble fountain in the center, surrounded by tall palm trees and small flower gardens with a dozen benches for people to sit and relax.

The square underwent further development in 2005.^[2]^[3]

References

^ The pre-modern configuration and topography of the area are amply discussed, with maps and diagrams, in Elbl, Martin Malcolm (2013). Portuguese Tangier (1471-1662): Colonial Urban Fabric as Cross-Cultural Skeleton. Baywolf Press. ISBN 978-0-921437-50-5.
^ Humphrys, Darren (2008). Frommer's Morocco. John Wiley & Sons. p. 280. ISBN 978-0-470-18403-5.
^ Morocco. Dorling Kindersley Eyewitness Travel Guides. 2006. p. 133.