Tangier Holidays

The history of Tangier is very rich due to the historical presence of many civilizations and cultures starting from the 5th century BC. Between the period of being a Phoenician town to the independence era around the 1950s, Tangier was a place and sometimes a refuge for many cultural diversities. However, it wasn't until 1923 that Tangier was attributed an international status by foreign colonial powers, thus becoming a destination for many Europeans and non-Europeans.

Tangier's relatively small medina is on the side of a hill north-east of the centre, towards the 17th-century kasbah that overlooks the Strait of Gibraltar. The wide boulevards of the French-built new town sprawl out around the medina, with the port to its east. The Grand Socco (old market square), connects the old and new.

The gate to the medina near the Great Mosque is one of the more popular, as it connects directly to the beach walk. It is also the easiest entry to the most fascinating parts of the old parts of Tangier, and you will immediately find yourself walking in narrow streets which soon ends up in the Petit Socco.

The now faded cafes were the meeting place of literary people like Oscar Wilde, Andre Gide, Jack Kerouac, Tennessee Williams and Ian Fleming, whose undercover work gave him ideas for 007. Cecil Beaton photographed the white-washed alleys and the bright lights brought various artists from Henri Matisse to Winston Churchill to this once shady city.