Photo Credit: Ridwan Alaoui

The city of Tangier is one of the world’s oldest cities. It was founded by the Phoenicians as a colony between 10th and 8th century BC. In the 5th century BC, the Carthaginians set it as one of their empire’s most prominent cities. Later, it fell under the Mauretanian rule, and then under the Romans. The city is part of the Greek mythology as “Tangis” (variable of the same name) was daughter of Atlas, wife of Antaeus and mother of Syphax from Hercules.

During Medieval times, it was occupied by the Vandals, then the Byzantine empire and then the Muslim rule, during which different dynasties took control of the city for its strategic location as the meeting place between the north, the south and east.

In later centuries, Tangier fell under the Portuguese, the British and briefly the Spanish occupation, and in 1923 it was declared as an International Zone under the French, the Spanish and the British and later Portuguese, the Belge, and the Dutch protectorates.

The race of the world’s greatest empires since the dawn of time to occupy and control the city of Tangier gave it an unparalleled historical richness that translates into its culture as captivating melodies, stunning architecture, jaw-dropping mosaic, phenomenal weaving, and magical stories that sum up the journey of man on planet Earth.

borj el-hajoui (El-hajoui Tower)

Bab El ASSA (El Assa Gate)

Souq Dakhel

Sahat 9 Avril (9 April Square)

Masjid El Jadid (The New Mosque)

Sour Meaagazin (Meaagazin Wall)

Masjid Qasbah (Qasbah Mosque)

Madina Qadima (Old Medina)

Bab Haha (Haha Gate) [pharyngeal sound h]

Diwana Qadima (Old Diwana)

Maqha Baba (Baba Café)

The Qasbah