Tangier: International City
Located where Africa meets Europe, Tangier has long been an international city. Given it’s strategic geographic location at the entrance to the Mediterranean at the Straits of Gibraltar, it has been fought over and occupied by occupying and competing powers over the centuries.
Carthage and, Romans ,Visigoths , Vandals and Byzantines all had a presence here before the Arabs invaded in the 8th century .and it prospered for six hundred years until piracy took hold.
The Portuguese invaded and occupied the city for over 200 years until it was handed over to the British in 1661 as part of the doury presented to English king, Charles 11 on his marriage to Catherine of Braganza of Portugal. The British were key players here in “the great game “for two and a half centuries to prevent others from taking control of this strategic enclave on the tip of Africa.
By the 19th century Tangier was overrun by competing diplomats looking tor influence. It was made a protectorate of France in 1912 and then “ an international zone “from 1925 to 1956 which made it an attractive destination for spies in the 20th century.
It was occupied by Spain during World War 2 which had other protectorate territory in the Moroccan coast.
It was re incorporated into the Moroccan state after the protectorate with France ended in 1956.
Destination – Morocco
