History of Tangier

TANGIER. 1680

A foreign shore and a fledgling empire.

In the late 17th century, Tangier stood as a prize and a problem. Once a strategic North African port coveted by empires, it came into English hands through diplomacy, not conquest—part of the dowry of Catherine of Braganza when she married Charles II of England in 1661. 

Along with Bombay, Tangier was intended as a gateway: to trade, to influence, to the wider world beyond Europe.

But what looked like a gift was anything but simple.

(A portrait of King Charles II of England and his wife, Catherine of Braganza, painted around 1665)

Tangier was isolated, exposed, and politically volatile. The city sat uneasily on the edge of the Islamic world, surrounded by Moroccan forces who viewed the European presence as an insult—and an opportunity. From the moment the King’s Colours were raised, Tangier was under siege.

What followed was nearly two decades of conflict, fortification, diplomacy, and defiance. English forces—outnumbered and often under-resourced—faced relentless attacks from local leader Sultan Moulay Ismail’s forces, one of the most formidable military powers in the region.

(Illustration of Moulay Ismail by Germain Moüette, c. 1683)

Garrisons were built, destroyed, rebuilt. Engineers devised seawalls and bastions. Parliament debated the cost. And soldiers held the line.

(Diagrams of the harbour fortifications and bastions at Tangier, from British military archives.)

For some in London, Tangier was a symbol of ambition—a stepping stone to Mediterranean power. For others, it was a bleeding wound. A distant drain on coffers and lives. Eventually, after years of hardship, political shifts at home and mounting pressure abroad led to a difficult decision: withdrawal.

In 1684, the British evacuated and destroyed the harbour to prevent its use by enemies. The city was abandoned—but not forgotten.

(The Demolishing of Tangier, 1683)

Tangier became a lesson. A mark in the national memory. It shaped early ideas of colonial reach and the limits of imperial will. And though it was lost, the honour remained—etched not in triumph, but in endurance. A recognition of those who stood their ground against overwhelming odds.