Ibn Battuta's Secret Map — Decipher the Hajj Conspiracy

Your adventure begins in Place du 9 Avril 1947, formerly called Petit Soko, a central square in Tangier since the 17th century. This historic market place is documented in European travelers' accounts. Renamed to commemorate Morocco's partial independence from Spain in 1947, it was a nerve center of the medina and a site of major political gatherings during the Moroccan independence struggle from 1953 to 1956. Here, facing the Café Central founded in 1927, you search for the first clue, hidden in the whispers of history.

Heading towards the Kasbah of Tangier, you pass through Bab Fahs, a monumental gate of the Almohad ramparts built around 1150 under Abd al-Mu'min. This defensive architecture, about 8 meters high, with its machicolations and horseshoe arch typical of the 12th century, was restored in 1997 during the rehabilitation work of the UNESCO-listed medina. This passage was once mandatory for trade caravans between Tangier and Fez in the Middle Ages, and it is among its stones that you will discover a new fragment of the conspiracy.

Your quest then leads you to the Kasbah Museum, housed in Dar el-Makhzen, the former Sultan's palace built in 1730 by Moulay Ismail. Opened in 1954, it was the first archaeological museum of independent Morocco, spanning 1000 m². Its collections include Phoenician artifacts dated to the 8th century BC and Roman mosaics from the 2nd century. The building was classified as a Historic Monument in 1921 under the French protectorate. Within these history-laden walls, Ibn Battuta's secrets might be etched forever.

Continuing your journey through the Tangier Medina UNESCO 1997, you reach the Great Mosque of Tangier, built in the 11th century under the Almoravids and rebuilt in 1818 after a fire. Its square minaret, 20 meters high, in the typical Maghrebi style of Atlantic mosques, dominates the landscape. With a capacity of 5000 worshippers, it is the largest mosque in Tangier. The interior is adorned with zellige dating from 1830, restored in 2005. The geometric patterns might conceal the clues you are looking for.

Your journey concludes near the Petit Socco, or Soco Chico, mentioned as early as 1666 by the English diplomat John Windham. The commercial heart of the Almohad medina, it was a place for currency exchange in the Middle Ages and was frequented by Paul Bowles and the Beat Generation in the 1950s. Surrounded by 12 traditional cafes, including Café Tingis founded in 1912, this is where all the threads of the conspiracy come together. This interactive visit to Tangier, rich in its Tangier-Tétouan heritage, will have allowed you to retrace the steps of merchants and explorers, unveiling the history of Tangier through its monuments and figures, from the Grand Socco Moroccan Cultural Heritage to the Kasbah Ramparts Historic Monument.