Melilla 120707
12 July 2007 | Melilla
Hot, with easterlies
This is the splendid lighthouse on the headland north of the town. It's Moroccan and wonderfully ornate.
Melilla is another of the peculiar Spanish enclaves on this coast. Like Ceuta it is an autonomous municipality, fully integrated into the provincial and regional governance of Spain. (There are also several Spanish islets dotted along the coast, at least one of which is a prison.) Independence here, in 1956, was a fairly untidy affair, with significant divisions between different factions and tribes which claimed the attention of revolutionary leaders. The Spanish held on to this confetti of possessions. Now, strange to say, the Moroccans argue that they should be handed back, but like the British in Gibraltar, the Spaniards are hanging on to their strategic valuables.
The town is very sweet. It's much less military and imposing than Ceuta, a laid back sort of place. It's about 50% Riffian and 50% Spanish, about 60,000 in all. Until recently, the Arab half lived in neglected slums. There have been big efforts to clean this up, but you can still see the difference. The tourist info makes a big play of the happy co-existence of Christians, Muslims, Hindus and Jews. There are certainly several temples and synagogues besides the mosques and churches. The crowds in the streets seem pretty laid back and friendly, but of course we can't really tell on a superficial acquaintance.
'Riffian' is the guidebook's term for the peoples of the Rif. They are mostly Berber, rather than Arab, and often do not speak Arabic as a first language. They are Muslim, and the Islamic conquest of Portugal was essentially Berber. Nador, the Moroccan port next to Melilla is a major centre of emerging Berber pride.
This is being written on the boat at the dock in the very comfortable marina. Eventually, Spanish bureaucracy and technical glitches permitting, we should get wifi on board here. The Spanish have a very complicated system for local networks like the one here, which requires essentially registering your laptop on their server. So much for web freedom in Spain!