History of Tangier

Tangier's strategic position at the juncture of the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean has long been hotly contested. Following ancient Carthaginian, Roman, and then Arab conquerors, Portugal seized Tangier in the 15th century, only to hand it over to Britain in the 17th century as part of Catherine of Braganza's dowry on her marriage to King Charles II (a dowry that also included Bombay). England's control of Tangier was short-lived; in 1685 it fell into the hands of the Arab sultan Moulay Ismail. The French came to Tangier in 1912, but not without disputes from England and continuous scurries for control, so that by 1923 Tangier was declared an international zone administered by France, Spain, Great Britain, and Italy; it even had its own flag. The city's international status, complete with special tax laws and loose governance, attracted a cosmopolitan crowd. In the first half of the 20th century, Tangier was a sumptuous, rather anarchic sensory feast that drew artists, writers, diplomats, heiresses, and free spirits from all over the world. Rumor has it that Allied secret agents from across the world used Tangier as a meeting base during World War II.

After Moroccan independence from French rule in 1956, Tangier was incorporated into the kingdom of Morocco. The international population—and investors—dwindled, and the city's magnificence began to retreat into the realm of myth. Now, with the support of the king, this gritty port city is sweeping away decades of neglect with major civic and cultural renewal, including a new marina, ferry terminal, fishing port, and a high-speed train service to Casablanca. Modern-day Tangier may be more subdued than the sybaritic haven of its past, yet it still has a distinct chiaroscuro appeal. Like Morocco's distinctive zellij tiles, the city is an amalgam—in this case of various periods and nationalities—that appears to change shape depending on the angle from which it's viewed.