The Petit Socco, also known as the Place Souk Dakhel or in Spanish as Zoco Chico, is a small square in the

medina quarter A medina (from ar, مدينة, translit=madīnah, lit=city) is a historical district in a number of North African cities, often corresponding to an old walled city. The term comes from the Arabic word simply meaning "city" or "town". Histori ...

Tangier Tangier ( ; ; ar, طنجة, Ṭanja) is a city in northwestern Morocco. It is on the Moroccan coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar, where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel. The town is the cap ...

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...

Name

The words are a combination of the French word ''petit'', meaning 'little/small', and the Spanish word ''zoco'' (often spelled as ''socco'' in northern Morocco), meaning souq,

bazaar A bazaar () or souk (; also transliterated as souq) is a marketplace consisting of multiple small Market stall, stalls or shops, especially in the Middle East, the Balkans, North Africa and India. However, temporary open markets elsewhere, suc ...

(

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

) or marketplace.

History

The Petit Socco, intersected by

rue Es-Siaghine Rue Es-Siaghine (Arabic: زنقة الصياغين, meaning Silversmith's Street, also transliterated as Rue Siaghin or Rue Siaghine) is a street in Tangier, Morocco. Under Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, ...

and close to the

Grand Mosque A congregational mosque or Friday mosque (, ''masjid jāmi‘'', or simply: , ''jāmi‘''; ), or sometimes great mosque or grand mosque (, ''jāmi‘ kabir''; ), is a mosque for hosting the Friday noon prayers known as ''jumu'ah''.* * * * * * * ...

, has long been the focal point of the

medina Medina,, ', "the radiant city"; or , ', (), "the city" officially Al Madinah Al Munawwarah (, , Turkish: Medine-i Münevvere) and also commonly simplified as Madīnah or Madinah (, ), is the Holiest sites in Islam, second-holiest city in Islam, ...

or old city of Tangier. Before the inception of the

Tangier International Zone The Tangier International Zone ( ''Minṭaqat Ṭanja ad-Dawliyya'', , es, Zona Internacional de Tánger) was a international zone centered on the city of Tangier, Morocco, which existed from 1924 until its reintegration into independent Moroc ...

in 1923, many of the European nations' consulates in Tangier were in its immediate vicinity, as were the main banks. The head office of the

State Bank of Morocco The State Bank of Morocco (french: Banque d'État du Maroc) was a quasi-central bank established in 1907 following the Algeciras Conference, to stabilize the Moroccan currency and serve as a vehicle for European and especially French influence ...

was established next to the Petit Socco at its creation in 1907, and stayed there until 1952 when it moved to a new building outside the medina. The Petit Socco was the hub of information in diplomatic-era Tanger, with the

post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional serv ...

s of the four most intrusive nations on each of its sides by the early 20th century: British to the north (between the ''Café Central'' and the then ''Bristol''hotel), Spanish to the east, German to the south, and French to the west. Two of that era's iconic establishments, the ''Hotel Fuentes'' on its southern side and ''Gran Café Central'' on its northern side, still exist as of 2023. From the 1950s, the Petit Socco declined in prominence and was later known for

drugs A drug is any chemical substance that causes a change in an organism's physiology or psychology when consumed. Drugs are typically distinguished from food and substances that provide nutritional support. Consumption of drugs can be via inhalat ...

and

prostitution Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in Sex work, sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, n ...

. In recent years, the Petit Socco and surrounding area have undergone significant renovation, as illustrated by the opening in 2017 the ''Palais Zahia'' hotel in the former seat of the State Bank, and the inauguration in 2022 of the Dar Niaba Museum in the former

French consulate The Consulate (french: Le Consulat) was the top-level Government of France from the fall of the Directory in the coup of 18 Brumaire on 10 November 1799 until the start of the Napoleonic Empire on 18 May 1804. By extension, the term ''The Con ...

building on rue Es-Siaghine.

References

Buildings and structures in Tangier Red-light districts in Morocco Souqs {{TangerTetouanAlHoceima-geo-stub

Name

History

See also

References