Tourist information -
Tangier
Tangier, also Tanger (Arabic Tanjah) is a city in northern Morocco, in Tangier Province, a seaport on a small bay of the Strait of Gibraltar. The city is a shipping center and has few other industries. Tangier was taken (1471) from the Arabs by the Portuguese and given to Charles II of England as part of the dowry from Catherine of Braganza; the English abandoned (1684) the city to the Moors when it became a pirate haunt. Together with a surrounding zone of about 360 sq km, Tangier was temporarily internationalized (1911-1912). A protocol that was signed (1925) by Great Britain, France, and Spain provided for permanent security of the city; but in 1929 Spain was given police control, and an international legislative body was established to rule. Spain had full control from 1940 to 1945; international control was resumed in the latter year. The international status of Tangier Zone was abolished in 1956. Getting to like Tangier is not all that easy. While Moroccan tourist police in recent years have cracked down on unpleasant guiding, nothing has changed in Tangier, and the strong ties between the police, local authorities and the local mafia makes Tangier a difficult port for travellers with no earlier Morocco experience. Spain, is only an hour of ferry ride away.
The anarchy of Tangier has many faces: When the sun sets the city is turned into a city which can be unsafe, which is different to the rest of Morocco. And handicrafts in Tangier are far more expensive than elsewhere in Morocco, where things to a certain extent is under official control. The town beach is profoundly filthy, while other main beaches in Morocco has an administration which cleans the sand on a regular basis. Kids beg for money on every corner, and "official" guides pester you everywhere.
But if you are of the relaxed type, or if you have already been around Morocco for a bit, Tangier is definately worth a visit. There is a lot to see around here, the city is lively, and if you jump into a taxi clean beaches are 10 minutes away. And Tangier still carries the aura of being a a celebrities' magnet and of once having been under international administration.
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