Paul Bowles stands as one of the most fascinating literary figures of the 20th century. An American expatriate who found his creative sanctuary in the winding streets of Tangier, Bowles created a legacy that extends beyond his written works to the very fabric of the Moroccan city he called home for over 50 years.
As both a celebrated writer and composer, Bowles captured the allure and complexity of North Africa through his distinctive voice. His novels and short stories, marked by their stark psychological insights and atmospheric descriptions, continue to resonate with readers worldwide. Meanwhile, his musical compositions, influenced by his travels and the sounds of Morocco, represent an important contribution to 20th-century American music.
Tangier wasn’t merely a backdrop for Bowles—it was an essential character in his creative journey. The city’s unique position at the crossroads of Africa and Europe, its international status during much of Bowles’ residence there, and its blend of cultures created the perfect environment for his artistic sensibilities. The mystique of Tangier permeates his work, from the shifting sands of the Sahara to the bustling markets of the medina.
This journey through Paul Bowles’ Tangier invites you to experience the city not just as a tourist destination but as a living museum of literary significance. By visiting the places Bowles frequented, readers can forge deeper connections with his stories and gain insights into how this remarkable city shaped one of America’s most distinctive literary voices.
Paul Bowles: A Connection to Tangier
Who Was Paul Bowles?
Born in New York City in 1910, Paul Bowles began his creative career as a composer, studying under Aaron Copland and writing music for theater productions and films. His transition to fiction writing produced works characterized by their precise language, psychological depth, and often unsettling themes of cultural collision.
Bowles’ literary breakthrough came with his 1949 novel “The Sheltering Sky,” which follows an American couple’s increasingly troubled journey into the North African desert. The book, later adapted into a film by Bernardo Bertolucci, established Bowles as a significant literary voice and introduced readers to his vision of Morocco.
Beyond his own writing, Bowles made invaluable contributions as a translator, bringing the works of Moroccan storytellers to English-speaking audiences. His translations of Mohamed Choukri, Mohammed Mrabet, and others preserved local oral traditions and introduced Moroccan voices to international readers.
Bowles first visited Tangier in 1931, but it was in 1947 that he decided to make the city his permanent home. This choice was influenced by several factors: Tangier’s international zone status at the time offered freedom from conventional Western society, the city provided distance from what he viewed as the artificiality of American life, and the landscape spoke to something essential in his creative vision.
The decision to relocate to Tangier proved transformative not only for Bowles but for the city itself. Through his presence and writing, Bowles put Tangier on the literary map, attracting other significant writers and artists. William Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, Tennessee Williams, Truman Capote, and Jane Bowles (Paul’s wife and an accomplished writer) all spent time in Tangier, drawn by Bowles’ descriptions and the city’s unique character.
Tangier in His Writing
Tangier serves as more than just a setting in Bowles’ work—it functions as a psychological landscape where his characters confront themselves and their cultural assumptions. In Bowles’ Tangier, Western travelers often find their presumptions challenged and their psychological defenses stripped away by the unfamiliar environment.
The city inspired key elements in Bowles’ literary themes: the confrontation between Western and non-Western cultures, the limits of human understanding across cultural divides, and the psychological transformations that occur when individuals are removed from familiar surroundings. Bowles viewed Tangier and its surroundings as places where “the protective clothing of culture” could be removed, revealing deeper truths about human nature.
Several of Bowles’ most significant works showcase Tangier’s presence:
“The Sheltering Sky” (1949), though set primarily in Algeria rather than Morocco, establishes themes of Western displacement that run throughout Bowles’ Tangier-influenced work.
“Let It Come Down” (1952) is perhaps Bowles’ most Tangier-centered novel, following an American bank employee who relocates to the International Zone of Tangier and becomes entangled in the city’s complex social and criminal worlds.
“The Spider’s House” (1955) examines Tangier during Morocco’s struggle for independence, depicting the tensions between tradition and modernity that characterized the city during this pivotal period.
Collections like “The Delicate Prey” (1950) and “A Distant Episode” (1947) contain short stories set in Tangier and the surrounding regions, capturing the city’s mysterious atmosphere and cultural contrasts.
Through these works and others, Bowles created a literary Tangier that exists alongside the physical city, inviting readers to experience both simultaneously when they visit the locations that inspired his vision. Bowles’ Tangier remains both authentic to the city’s character and transformed by his unique perspective—a literary landscape that continues to attract curious travelers decades after his works were first published.
Exploring Paul Bowles’ Favourite Spots in Tangier
To truly understand Paul Bowles and his literary world, one must walk the streets he walked and see Tangier through his eyes. Each location below offers a window into both the writer’s life and the city that captivated him for over half a century.
The Tangier Medina: A Labyrinth of Stories
The ancient Medina of Tangier served as the beating heart of Bowles’ daily life and creative inspiration. This walled city within a city, with its narrow winding streets and centuries-old architecture, became both his home and his muse. Bowles lived in various apartments within the Medina over the years, immersing himself in its rhythms and mysteries.
What made the Medina particularly significant to Bowles was its authenticity and resistance to modernization. Unlike other parts of Tangier that changed dramatically during his lifetime, the Medina retained much of its traditional character, preserving the Morocco that had initially drawn him. The labyrinthine quality of the streets—where one could easily become lost—mirrored the psychological journeys his characters often undertook.
Rue Siaghine, one of the main arteries of the Medina, appears frequently in Bowles’ writings and daily routines. This bustling commercial street connected the Petit Socco (small square) with the Grand Socco and hosted numerous shops and cafés that Bowles frequented. The Petit Socco itself, once notorious for its associations with the drug trade and international espionage, features prominently in “Let It Come Down” as a place where cultures and intentions intersect.
The Medina markets, particularly the food and spice markets, offered Bowles direct contact with local life. In his writings, these markets often symbolize the sensory richness of Morocco, with their colors, scents, and sounds providing vivid background for his narratives. In “The Spider’s House,” Bowles uses market scenes to establish both the timeless quality of Moroccan life and the political tensions beginning to transform it.
Bowles wrote about the Medina with particular clarity in “Points in Time” (1982), his collection of historical vignettes about Morocco, describing how “the shadow-filled streets twist like snakes” and capturing the unique atmosphere that continues to enchant visitors today.
Café Hafa: A Writer’s Retreat
Perched on a cliff overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar, Café Hafa has been a fixture in Tangier’s cultural landscape since 1921. This terraced café, with its simple white and blue aesthetic and breath-taking views of the sea, became one of Bowles’ regular retreats from the bustle of the Medina.
For Bowles and other writers and artists, Café Hafa offered an ideal space for contemplation and creation. The café gained international fame when Bowles began bringing his literary friends there, including William Burroughs, Jack Kerouac, Tennessee Williams, and the Rolling Stones—all drawn by the relaxed atmosphere and spectacular setting.
Bowles appreciated Café Hafa for its simplicity—traditional mint tea served in small glasses, basic seating on terraced levels descending the hillside, and the hypnotic view of ships passing between continents. This minimalism allowed for maximum focus on conversation, writing, or simply absorbing the Mediterranean atmosphere.
The café appears both explicitly and implicitly in Bowles’ work. Though he rarely named it directly, descriptions of characters sitting at cliff-side cafés gazing toward Spain echo his own experiences at Hafa. The view from the café—with Spain visible on clear days—perfectly embodied Tangier’s position at the crossroads of cultures, a central theme in Bowles’ writing.
Today, Café Hafa remains largely unchanged, offering visitors the chance to sit where Bowles sat, drink the same mint tea he enjoyed, and perhaps find inspiration in the same panoramic views that influenced his writing.
The Grand Socco: Where Cultures Collide
The Grand Socco (officially Place du 9 Avril 1947) marks the transition between Tangier’s Medina and the newer parts of the city. This large, circular plaza has historically functioned as a market and meeting place, drawing people from all walks of life.
Bowles was fascinated by the Grand Socco as a place of cultural intersection. In his time, one could observe traditional Moroccan farmers bringing produce to market, international businessmen from the Zone era, Spanish and French colonials, and travelers from across the globe—all within this single space. This mixture of peoples and purposes made the Grand Socco a perfect microcosm of the larger themes Bowles explored in his writing.
In “Let It Come Down,” protagonist Nelson Dyar crosses the Grand Socco regularly, observing how “Arabs, Berbers, Spanish, French, and the occasional American” interact in this liminal space. For Bowles, the Grand Socco represented Tangier itself—a place where identity becomes fluid and where cultural boundaries blur.
The Cinema Rif, located on the edge of the Grand Socco, held particular significance for Bowles. As a composer who had worked on film scores and a writer whose novel “The Sheltering Sky” would eventually be adapted for cinema, Bowles appreciated this connection between Tangier and the world of film. Today, the renovated Cinema Rif continues as a cultural center, hosting film festivals and screenings that honor Tangier’s artistic legacy.
The Kasbah Museum of Mediterranean Cultures
Situated at the highest point of the Medina, the Kasbah and its museum offered Bowles both panoramic views of the city and insights into Morocco’s rich historical heritage. The Kasbah Museum of Mediterranean Cultures (formerly known as the Dar el Makhzen Palace Museum) occupies a 17th-century sultan’s palace, presenting artifacts that span Morocco’s complex history.
Bowles’ fascination with Moroccan traditional arts directly influenced his creative output. As both a writer and a composer, he studied and recorded traditional Moroccan music, preserving sounds that might otherwise have been lost to time. The museum’s collections of musical instruments, textiles, and ceramics reflect the traditional crafts that Bowles celebrated in his work.
Among the museum’s most significant exhibits are its collections of Moroccan artifacts dating from the Roman period through the early 20th century—covering precisely the historical sweep that Bowles explored in “Points in Time.” The museum’s Andalusian garden, with its traditional design and Mediterranean plants, creates an atmosphere of tranquility that Bowles would have appreciated as a counterpoint to the busy streets below.
For visitors following in Bowles’ footsteps, the museum provides essential context for understanding the cultural traditions that so captivated him. The view from the Kasbah walls, spanning the Strait of Gibraltar and both the old and new sections of Tangier, offers a visual companion to Bowles’ literary perspectives on the city—embracing both its ancient character and its ever-evolving present.
The American Legation: A Literary Connection
The American Legation holds a unique distinction as the first American public property outside the United States and the only U.S. National Historic Landmark on foreign soil. Given to the United States by Sultan Moulay Suliman in 1821, this complex of buildings served as the U.S. diplomatic mission to Morocco until 1956.
For Bowles, the American Legation represented a curious link between his American origins and his adopted Moroccan home. While never working directly for the Legation, Bowles maintained connections with American diplomats stationed there and occasionally participated in cultural events hosted at the facility. During World War II, when Bowles worked briefly for the U.S. government’s Voice of America, the Legation served as a point of contact with official American presence in Tangier.
The Legation’s importance extended beyond Bowles to the broader expatriate community. During Tangier’s International Zone period (1923-1956), the Legation played a significant role in the city’s cosmopolitan culture. It hosted literary gatherings, art exhibitions, and musical performances that brought together creative figures from various backgrounds—precisely the mixed cultural environment that nourished Bowles’ work.
Today, the Legation houses a museum and cultural center, including a wing dedicated to Paul Bowles and other American writers associated with Tangier. The museum’s collection includes first editions of Bowles’ books, photographs documenting his life in Morocco, and recordings of the traditional music he helped preserve. For literary travelers, the Legation offers perhaps the most direct connection to Bowles’ legacy in Tangier.
Beachside Inspiration: Tangier’s Coastline
The coastline surrounding Tangier provided Bowles with both creative inspiration and necessary respite from the intensity of the Medina. The meeting of land and sea, with the continents of Africa and Europe in view, perfectly symbolized the thematic boundaries Bowles explored in his writing.
Among Bowles’ favorite coastal spots was Cape Spartel, the northwestern extremity of Africa’s Atlantic coast. This promontory, with its lighthouse and dramatic cliff views, appears in several of his works as a place where characters go to contemplate decisions or seek perspective. The nearby Caves of Hercules, with their natural sea window shaped like Africa, connected to Bowles’ interest in local mythology and the symbolic meaning of landscapes.
The beaches east of Tangier, particularly around the Bay of Tangier, offered Bowles settings for more intimate scenes in his fiction. Unlike the wild Atlantic coast to the west, these Mediterranean beaches provided calmer waters and closer views of Spain across the strait. In “Let It Come Down,” protagonist Nelson Dyar walks these beaches, contemplating his increasingly complicated situation against the backdrop of ships passing between continents.
Bowles often wrote about how Tangier’s natural beauty—the quality of light, the meeting of waters, the dramatic topography—influenced his perception and creativity. The constantly shifting seascape, with its changes in color and mood, mirrors the psychological states of his characters. For visitors seeking to understand Bowles’ creative process, time spent along Tangier’s diverse coastline reveals much about the natural world that shaped his literary vision.
Paul Bowles’ Influence on Tangier Today
Cultural Legacy
More than twenty years after his death in 1999, Paul Bowles continues to shape Tangier’s identity as a literary and artistic destination. His presence lingers in the city’s cafés, streets, and cultural institutions, transforming what might otherwise be ordinary locations into sites of literary pilgrimage.
Tangier’s artistic community still acknowledges Bowles as a pivotal figure who brought international attention to the city’s unique character. Local writers, musicians, and artists often cite him as an influence, particularly in how he bridged Western and Moroccan creative traditions. The annual Tangier International Book Fair frequently features discussions of Bowles’ work and legacy, keeping his literary contributions in contemporary conversation.
Many businesses in Tangier capitalize on the Bowles connection, with bookshops prominently displaying his works, cafés naming dishes after his characters, and hotels preserving rooms where he or his famous friends stayed. This commercialization, while sometimes superficial, nevertheless keeps Bowles’ name alive for new generations of visitors.
More substantively, several cultural foundations work to preserve Bowles’ legacy in Tangier. The Paul Bowles Wing at the American Legation Museum houses manuscripts, photographs, and recordings that document his life and creative output. The Tangier American Institute for Moroccan Studies occasionally hosts scholars researching Bowles and his circle, contributing to ongoing academic interest in his work.
Local Tangier residents engage with Bowles’ legacy in varied ways. Older residents who knew him personally share stories with visitors, while younger generations discover his writing through university courses on Moroccan literature in translation or through the growing interest in Tangier’s bohemian past. For many locals, Bowles represents a complex figure—sometimes criticized for his orientalist perspective yet appreciated for his genuine interest in Moroccan culture and his efforts to preserve traditional music and stories.
Tangier’s Literary Tours
Visitors to Tangier can explore Bowles’ world through several specialized tours focusing on literary heritage. These range from formal guided experiences led by knowledgeable locals to self-guided walks using maps and books that identify significant Bowles-related sites.
The most comprehensive guided tours typically include:
- A visit to Bowles’ final apartment in the upper Medina, viewable from the exterior
- Stops at the cafés he frequented, including Café Hafa and cafés around the Petit Socco
- A tour of the American Legation Museum, particularly its Bowles collection
- Visits to locations featured prominently in his fiction, such as the settings for key scenes in “Let It Come Down”
- The Protestant Cemetery where Bowles is buried alongside his wife Jane and other expatriate figures
Self-guided literary pilgrims often use Mohamed Choukri’s book “Paul Bowles in Tangier” as a reference, as Choukri knew Bowles personally and documents many of his favorite locations. Several smartphone apps now offer literary walking tours of Tangier, with audio recordings that include excerpts from Bowles’ works relevant to each location.
For the most immersive experience, visitors can book stays at hotels with Bowles connections, such as El Minzah Hotel, where he often met with friends and visitors, or Hotel Continental, which features in the film adaptation of “The Sheltering Sky.”
Recommended Reading Before Visiting
For travelers planning a Bowles-inspired visit to Tangier, the following works provide excellent preparation:
- “The Sheltering Sky” (1949) – Bowles’ most famous novel captures the spirit of North Africa and the psychology of Western travelers encountering it.
- “Let It Come Down” (1952) – Set specifically in Tangier, this novel provides the most detailed fictional depiction of the city during the International Zone period.
- “Their Heads are Green and Their Hands are Blue” (1963) – This travel book includes Bowles’ non-fiction observations about Morocco and its culture.
- “Without Stopping” (1972) – Bowles’ autobiography offers insights into his life in Tangier and his reasons for settling there.
- “Days: Tangier Journal” (1991) – This late-period journal gives readers a sense of Bowles’ daily life in the city.
Specific passages worth noting include the opening pages of “Let It Come Down,” which vividly describe arriving in Tangier by sea; the sections of “Without Stopping” that detail Bowles’ first impressions of the city in 1931; and the Tangier sections of “Their Heads are Green,” where Bowles discusses traditional music and customs.
| Book Title | Year | Type | Key Tangier Connections |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Sheltering Sky | 1949 | Novel | Though primarily set in Algeria, establishes Bowles’ North African themes |
| Let It Come Down | 1952 | Novel | Entirely set in Tangier; features the Medina, Petit Socco, and international zone culture |
| The Spider’s House | 1955 | Novel | Set in Fez but reflects Bowles’ understanding of Moroccan society during independence |
| Their Heads are Green and Their Hands are Blue | 1963 | Travel Essays | Contains direct observations about Tangier and Moroccan culture |
| Without Stopping | 1972 | Autobiography | Recounts Bowles’ life in Tangier and his reasons for settling there |
| Points in Time | 1982 | Historical Vignettes | Includes historical snapshots of Tangier through different periods |
| Days: Tangier Journal | 1991 | Journal | Provides a window into Bowles’ daily life in late-period Tangier |
Conclusion
Paul Bowles and Tangier remain inseparably linked in literary and cultural history. The city provided him not merely with a home but with an entire sensory and psychological landscape that infused his writing and music. In turn, Bowles gave Tangier a place in the global literary imagination, transforming it from a relatively obscure Moroccan port into a symbol of cross-cultural encounter and artistic freedom.
The relationship between Bowles and Tangier was symbiotic—the city’s unique character during the International Zone period offered him an escape from what he viewed as the conformity and materialism of post-war America, while his presence attracted other artists who further enriched Tangier’s cultural scene. As Bowles wrote in “Without Stopping,” Tangier represented “a city where the past and the present exist simultaneously,” a quality that perfectly suited his literary preoccupations.
For contemporary visitors, exploring Tangier through Bowles’ perspective offers a deeper engagement with both the writer’s work and the city itself. Beyond the standard tourist attractions, a Bowles-inspired journey reveals Tangier’s layers of history, its position between cultures, and the enduring power of place to shape artistic vision.
Whether sitting at Café Hafa gazing toward Spain, wandering the Medina’s labyrinthine streets, or standing at Bowles’ grave in the hillside cemetery, literary travelers can connect with the same essential qualities that kept Bowles in Tangier for over fifty years. The city continues to change—much more rapidly now than during Bowles’ lifetime—yet the atmosphere he captured in his writing remains accessible to those willing to look beyond the surface.
A visit to Bowles’ Tangier is not merely tourism but a form of literary archaeology, uncovering the connections between a remarkable writer and the remarkable place that became central to his creative life. In the process, visitors may discover, as Bowles did, that Tangier offers not only insights into Moroccan culture but also a unique perspective on the universal themes of identity, belonging, and the search for meaning across cultural boundaries.
FAQs
1. Who was Paul Bowles, and why is he associated with Tangier?
Paul Bowles (1910-1999) was an American writer and composer who lived in Tangier, Morocco for over 50 years. After first visiting in 1931, he permanently relocated there in 1947, making the city his home until his death. He is best known for novels like “The Sheltering Sky” and “Let It Come Down,” which often feature North African settings. Bowles is associated with Tangier because he not only made it his home but also wrote extensively about the city and attracted other prominent writers and artists to visit or live there, including William Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, and Tennessee Williams.
2. What are the must-visit spots in Tangier for fans of Paul Bowles’ work?
Essential Bowles-related sites include Café Hafa, where he often took visitors; the Tangier Medina, where he lived in various apartments; the American Legation Museum, which houses a collection of his papers and memorabilia; the Grand and Petit Socco, which feature in his writing; and the Protestant Cemetery, where he is buried. The Hotel El Minzah and Hotel Continental also have connections to Bowles and his circle of friends.
3. How does Tangier feature in Paul Bowles’ novels and stories?
Tangier serves as both a literal setting and a psychological landscape in Bowles’ writing. His novel “Let It Come Down” is set entirely in Tangier during the International Zone period, while many of his short stories take place in or around the city. Beyond specific references, Tangier’s position between cultures, its unique international status during much of Bowles’ time there, and its sensory qualities permeate his work, influencing themes of cultural displacement, identity, and the psychological impact of unfamiliar environments.
4. Why did Paul Bowles choose to live in Tangier?
Bowles was drawn to Tangier for several reasons. He appreciated its status as an International Zone (1923-1956), which created a cosmopolitan atmosphere with fewer restrictions than either Western societies or traditional Morocco. He valued the distance from American consumer culture and what he saw as its conformity. The landscape and light of North Africa appealed to his aesthetic sensibilities, and the traditional cultures of Morocco fascinated him. As he once wrote, Tangier offered “a city where the past and the present exist simultaneously,” providing rich material for his creative work.
5. Are there literary tours in Tangier inspired by Paul Bowles?
Yes, several tour operators offer Bowles-focused literary tours of Tangier. These typically include visits to locations mentioned in his works, places he frequented, and the American Legation Museum’s Bowles collection. Some tours are led by locals who knew Bowles personally or scholars familiar with his work. Additionally, self-guided tour maps and apps are available for independent travelers who wish to explore Bowles’ Tangier at their own pace.
6. Can I visit historic cafés like Café Hafa where Bowles spent time?
Absolutely! Café Hafa remains open and largely unchanged since Bowles’ time, making it one of the most authentic Bowles-related experiences in contemporary Tangier. The café still serves traditional mint tea on its terraced levels overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar. Some cafés around the Petit Socco where Bowles spent time also continue to operate, though many have changed names or ownership over the decades.
7. What role did the Medina play in Bowles’ writing and everyday life?
The Medina was central to Bowles’ experience of Tangier and features prominently in his writing. He lived in various apartments within the old walled city over his years in Tangier. The Medina’s maze-like streets, traditional markets, and blend of architectural styles provided rich material for his fiction. In works like “Let It Come Down,” the Medina represents both the authentic Morocco that attracted Bowles and the psychological complexity he explored in his characters. Bowles’ daily life revolved around Medina routines, from visiting local markets to meeting friends at nearby cafés.
8. How can I prepare to explore Tangier from a literary perspective?
Reading Bowles’ works set in or about Tangier provides essential context—particularly “Let It Come Down,” “Without Stopping” (his autobiography), and “Their Heads are Green and Their Hands are Blue” (travel essays). Mohamed Choukri’s “Paul Bowles in Tangier” offers valuable insights from someone who knew him well. Books like “The Dream at the End of the World” by Michelle Green provide historical context about the literary scene in Tangier during Bowles’ time. Before visiting, consider acquiring a literary map of the city or downloading a Bowles-themed walking tour app to guide your exploration.
9. Are there other writers connected to Tangier besides Paul Bowles?
Yes, numerous significant writers have connections to Tangier. William Burroughs wrote much of “Naked Lunch” while living there, often visited by Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac. Tennessee Williams, Truman Capote, and Gore Vidal all spent time in the city. Jane Bowles, Paul’s wife, was herself an acclaimed writer. Moroccan authors associated with Tangier include Mohamed Choukri, whose autobiography “For Bread Alone” was translated by Bowles, and Mohammed Mrabet, whose oral stories Bowles transcribed and translated. Contemporary writers continue to find inspiration in Tangier, adding to its rich literary tradition.
