Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Roman rule, it was the capital of the province of Mauretania Tingitana. The Vandals at-
tacked from Spain in AD 429, followed by the Byzantines, and then the Arabs, who in-
vaded in 705 and quelled the Berber tribes. Tangier passed between various Arab factions
before finally coming under Almohad rule in 1149. Then the Portuguese arrived, captur-
ing the city on their second attempt in 1471, only to hand it to the British 200 years later
as a wedding gift for Charles II. Its value is difficult to assess: the English diarist Samuel
Pepys called it 'the excrescence of the earth'. Moroccans regained control of the city un-
der Sultan Moulay Ismail in 1679, destroying much of the city in the process. They re-
mained in power until the mid-19th century, when North Africa once again piqued the in-
terest of the European powers.
TANGIER IN…
One Day
Starting in the kasbah, take a wander through the
Kasbah Museum
, and a meander down the medina
streets. Don't miss the treasure-trove of
Boutique Majid
before lunch at
Le Nabab
. The
Grand
Socco
is the perfect place for mint tea. Wander up to
St Andrew's Church
for a spot of gravestone
reading, then take in the latest art exhibition at
Centre Culturel Ibn Khaldoun
before heading to
El-
Minzah Wellness
for a hammam. A drink in the
Caid's Bar
is followed by dinner at
Art et Gour-
met
, before heading to
Le Tangerine
just like a Beat poet.
Two Days
Discover the vibe of the new city with breakfast at the plush
La Giralda
, where you can check the
views over to Spain from
Terrasse des Paresseux
. Head to
Librairie des Colonnes
to browse the
historic bookshop before a fishy lunch at
Populaire Saveur de Poisson
. A post-prandial stroll
through the
Mendoubia Gardens
is perfect, followed by a photo-opportunity visit to the
fresh pro-
duce market
. Just around the corner is the
Tangier American Legation Museum
where you can
seek out Morocco's
Mona Lisa
. After dinner at
La Fabrique
, have a nightcap and catch some jazz at
El Morocco Club
.
The modern history of Tangier begins here. While the rest of Morocco was divided
between France and Spain, strategic Tangier was turned into an 'International Zone' of
various sectors, similar to West Berlin in the Cold War. France, Spain, Britain, Portugal,
Sweden, Holland, Belgium, Italy and the USA all had a piece of the pie, which was man-
aged by the sultan, at least on paper. This situation lasted from 1912 until shortly after
Moroccan independence, in 1956, when the city was returned to the rest of the country.
During this famous Interzone period, expats flooded in, forming half the population, and a
wild, anything-goes culture broke out, attracting all sorts of people, for reasons both high
