The colours of Tangier (2)

Moroccans love colour. No subtle beiges or ecrus, no perfect greys here. Colour reigns, taking cues from nature and translated into rugs, textiles and every day objects. 

When you see the city from the ferry as you arrive from Spain, it seems uniformly white-washed but as soon as you land you are thrown into a land of bright colours.

Deep reds, bright oranges and fluorescent greens jump at you outside the carpet shop.

More bright tones for these plastic inside/outside floor coverings

Vibrant colours that have inspired painters through time: bright spring flowers surrounding a baby palm tree. 

A simple ground-level vegetable "stall" becomes a colourful work of art.

In a shop, perfectly stacked sabra synthetic silk...

...that was probably used to sew these djellabas in bright primary colours with gold or silver trim and matching babouches.

Even cars get the colour treatment.

The balloons of the vendor on the Place du Grand Socco, the main square of the old part of town...

...are echoed by the buoys on the fishing boats at the wharf.

The peacefulness, the stillness of the water in the sun, the hard-earned rest of the boats after the harvest of the sea's bounty.

Photos: Sylvie Pellet, Joelle Desparmet, pinterest