Tangier, founded by the Phoenician, for millennia has been located on the edge of the Old World. The city extends its arms on the Mediterranean Sea towards the Atlantic Ocean, becoming the gate of North Africa from the Strait of Gibraltar.
The ancient city of Tangier is located at the western entrance of the Strait of Gibraltar, where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Mediterranean Sea.
Tingis, ancient name of Tangier becomes capital of the Roman province of Mauretania Tingitana in 42 CE. Tingis was an important Carthaginian, Mauretanian, and Roman port on the Atlantic Ocean. It was eventually granted the status of a Roman colony and made the capital of the province of Mauretania Tingitana and, after Diocletian's reforms, the diocese of Hispania.
Between the fourth and fifth centuries, Tangier was part of the Byzantine Emipire. The Arabs arrived in the early 700s.
During the 8th century, Tangier became an Arab military outpost supporting the invasion of Spain. After the discovery of the New World, the city became for centuries an important trading centre. Thus, the Medina, the commercial hub of Tangier, in this context maintained the Roman military structure.
It has been the birthplace of explorer and geographer Ibn Battuta (1304) from where he travelled during 28 years up to Beijing, Samarqand, and Timbuktu. During the 14th century, Tangier is a dynamic port city trading various commodities with Marseilles, Genoa, Venice and Barcelona.
Since the 15th century, under the domination of Portugal, United Kingdom, Spain and France the construction of the city walls, the bastions and the York Castle were completed. The British ruled the city until Sultan Moulay Ismail imposed a blockade which forced the British to withdraw. Upon leaving, the British destroyed the city and its port. Although partially reconstructed, the city declined to around 5000 people in early 1800s.
Ancient history of Tangier
