Trinkets, Trash, and Treasure . . .
Here in Morocco the old axiom, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” rings true. This is an odd way to open an essay on tourism and gentrification (I’m not sure what else I would call it), but I swear there is a logic to the discussion. Historically, throughout much of the Arabic-speaking world, cities were protected by large walls meant to deter invading armies and nomadic raiders. With the development of modern weapons and armies, the purpose of the ramparts protecting these cities became obsolete and with time more and more families moved outside the old walled-medinas. Over time wealthier families opted for the comforts of modernity outside these medinas leaving the have-nots behind. This was especially apparent as I visited the Moroccan city of Tetouan near the Mediterranean coast.
Moroccans loiter outside Bab al-Had, one of the primary gates into Rabat’s medina
Unlike the more famous Moroccan medinas of Fez, Marrakesh, and even Rabat, the Tetouan medina is relatively free of tourism and all its trappings. As I walked along Laayoun street, one of the main thoroughfare in the Tetouan medina, merchants hawked a varied assortment of used goods ranging from kitchen appliances and cookware to books, clothing, and electronics (yes, I even saw an old tube TV and a VCR). Many Moroccans (and Americans for that matter) would consider the goods being sold here as junk, but for those eking out a living in Tetouan’s medina these goods are granted a second life.
The Laayoun Street souq (market) in the Tetouan medina
Life in the old medinas of cities like Tetouan, Fes, and Marrakesh come with challenges. Narrow alleyways, steep steps, and uneven pavement often make it impossible to navigate with a car and public transportation doesn’t serve these communities within the walls of the medina. As I’ve walked through some of these streets I’ve often wondered at the effort it must take to deliver furniture or large appliances to these homes. I imagine it requires enlisting a muleteer just to get the items to one’s doorstep. Many of the homes are also plagued by the challenges that come with any home built long before electricity or plumbing and the efforts it must take to keep the homes livable. Given these challenges, it is no wonder that so many Moroccans prefer to migrate to the suburbs or the ville nouvelle (new towns) with more modern homes and apartments.
I’m currently staying with a family in the Rabat medina in an old riad (traditional townhouse) that has been transformed into three apartments (one on each floor). Last Sunday I met several members of the extended family who were able to escape the medina to go to college and later got jobs as teachers. They all began new lives in the suburbs and have no plans to return to what could be considered the squalor of the medina.
The interior of Dar al-Oddi, a restored riad in Tetouan
In recent decades however as European tourism to Morocco has increased the fortunes of several of these medinas affected by tourism has been on the rise. Many foreigners are attracted to the old medinas of places like Marrakech by its exotic nature and many more have become entranced. Seeking an authentic experience, tourists opt to stay in the medinas prompting the tremendous growth in riads transformed into boutique hotels and even foreigners buying and restoring riads to use as AirBnBs and vacation homes. Even popular books such as A House in Fez or The Caliph’s House romanticize the adventure that is living in a Moroccan medina and renovating a home. There are even websites catering to foreigner looking to buy a riad in Morocco.
In this respect foreign tourism is driving a sort of gentrification of Morocco’s medinas (some like Marrakesh are experiencing it much more swiftly than others). While gentrification is bringing new life and money to the medinas it is also bringing new challenges to their longtime residents. Gentrification drives up costs for locals while limiting services as the medinas cater more to the tourists wants and less to residents needs. Slowly the number of shops selling essentials are replaced by shops selling trinkets and souvenirs or restaurants, hammams, etc. In the worst case scenarios gentrification is driving the displacement of local residents, many of whom are already living at the margin, for more boutique hotels and home shares that empty for long portions of the year.
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