Paintings of Tangier

Tangier seems to have always been a city of outsiders. Founded by Phoenician settlers before the 8th century BCE, the city became a jewel in the Carthaginian and then the Roman Empire before being conquered in the 17th century by the Muslim Alaouite dynasty, which has ruled Morocco ever since. Still, Tangier has been an important outpost for British, French, Portuguese, and Spanish colonialists.

Over the centuries, the clash of empires has left deep scars on Tangier. But in some ways, it has enriched the city’s art. Tangier’s Museum of Moroccan Art is a triumphant monument to the cross-pollination of cultures. There, you’ll find abstract mosaics influenced by the spread of Islam, marble imported from Greece, and rugs and pots crafted by Berbers.