The White City: Tangier

angiers’ sandy beaches and scenery that resemble the French Riviera draw tourists there.
This city, which is about 30 kilometers from Europe, is a bipolar location.
Foreigners dream about an African adventure and the wealthy people of the West.

The Columns of Hercules, which are cliffs on either side of the Straits of Gibraltar, served as the Europeans’ outermost boundary of the known world in antiquity.
The narrowest point of this Mediterranean gate, which is 14 km wide, is where the European and Arab invasions of Africa and Europe respectively began.

The history of Tangier, the most international of all Moroccan cities, was shaped by this circumstance.
In addition to Arabs, Jews, Spaniards, French, Portuguese, Maltese, Danes, and Russians also live in the city today.
Many Moroccans see Tangier as the fulfillment of their desire to live in Europe and of a better, happier life.
Here, the ladies of the affluent Occident sing in a very prominent and delicate manner.
The history of Tangier, which is nestled between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean in a gorgeous setting, reaches back to antiquity.
The city was supposedly established by Antaeus, a son of the sea god Poseidon.
Tangiers has long been a harbor for both the Carthaginians and the Phoenicians.
Olive oil and grains from Volubilis were shipped to Rome from the port of Tangier until the end of the third century.

When in the 8th century Tangier was conquered by the Arabs, it became the starting point of the Arab years leaving to conquer Spain. The following centuries were marked by incessant disputes over governance in Tangiers, opposing Portugal (governing since 1471), England, and the Arabs (the city was conquered for Morocco by Moulay Ismail in 1681).

Tangier became a target of the lust of the European powers at the turn of the sixth and twentieth centuries.
After France colonized Morocco in 1912, the area developed into a distinct region with a neutral character and an international standing, resembling a free city.
Another shift occurred between 1940 and 1945: During the Nazi German takeover of France, Longer was occupied by Spain; nevertheless, as of 1956, the city is now a part of the Kingdom of Morocco.

Modern Arab architecture and dilapidated colonial monuments coexist in Tangier.
They are distinguished by a planned vigor, porticos, and columns in addition to balconies, decked balconies, and decorated balustrades.

The Grand Hotel Villa de France, which was renovated in 2009 and is situated on rue de la Liberté (north of the Place de France in the new town), is one of the most well-known specimens of colonial architecture.
Famous diplomats and artists, like Eugène Delacroix (1832) and Henri Matisse, resided at the hotel, which was made up of three buildings, a grand garden, and a swimming pool (early 1900 ).

Monuments in Tangier .

Hotel Continental, which opened its doors in Tangier in 1870, is another significant example of colonial architecture.
The British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and the Prince of Edinburgh, Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II, was among the first guests to stay there as it was the city’s first hotel.
This white, three-story structure in the medina is situated in a little street and offers a distinctive perspective of the bay.

the spiral stairway that leads to the bay and a large sandy beach.
Once inside the hotel, one is immediately transported to the year 1920. There is a piano bar much as in the movie, as well as deep leather armchairs with Art Deco details or vintage portraits up on the walls.
The grand staircase that leads to the floors is reminiscent of those in Hollywood productions before the Second World War.

One of Tangier’s most exquisite examples of the Art Deco style during its prime was the Grand Theater Cervantes, constructed in 1911 by the Spanish architect Antonio Gallego.
The roof terrace of this three-story structure has a focal area centered on the sculptures of the Muses.

A round stairway that surrounded the structure provided energy for the entire design.
Since Enrico Caruso (1873-1921), a great tenor, was born there in 1918, the theater has served as a hub for culture for almost 50 years.
It was at the time North Africa’s most significant theater, with 1400 seats available.
The building is currently in terrible condition, with only the facade remaining.
However, the governments of Spain and Morocco pledged to repair it.