Bathed by the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean, Tangiers is distinguished by its history and its geographic position at teh point where Europe and Africa meet. The origins of the city go far back in time and an
Arabic translation of the legend has it that it was founded by Antaeus, son of Neptune and the Earth. Hercules gave Tinge, Antaeus daughter to his son as a bride after having suffocated her father and separated Africa from Europe with a single blow. The city was thus called Tingis.
Subsequent groups settled here, creating a trading port and flourishing colony. When Carthage fell, Tingis first became a Roman colony, and then the capital of Mauretania Tingitana. Under Justinian, the city became part of the Byzantine empire, and at the end of the 7th century it was occupied by Arabs. In 711, Arabs left from Tangiers to conquer Spain. In 1471, the Portuguese returned to Tangiers as conquerors and occupied it for nearly 100 years. It exchanged hands between the Portuguese, Spanish and English over the next few centuries. In 1684, the English abandoned Tangiers for lack of water, and it returned to Arab control. Today, Tangiers is a commercial center, tourist destination and attraction for real estate investors.
