The Andalusian Caliph Abd al-Rahman III ruled Tangier, Ceuta and Melilla. The cities remained under Arab control until the reign of Hisham III.
From 1026 onwards it belonged to the Taifa of Malaga. In those years Tangier was nicknamed “The White One”.
Coveted by all, in 1437 a Portuguese expedition of conquest by Henry the Navigator failed. In 1464, during the reign of Alfonso V of Portugal, a Portuguese fleet under the command of Luis Méndez de Vasconcellos tried to take the city. The Portuguese would have to wait until 28 August 1471 to take and occupy the city, which would remain under the rule of Portugal and Spain until 1661.
The Portuguese allied themselves with England, marrying the Infanta Catherine of Braganza to Charles II of England in 1661. Tangier was part of the bride's dowry. The English monarch declared in Parliament: "The acquisition of Tangier must be regarded as a jewel of incalculable value for the British crown."

In 1679, Sultan Ismail tried to conquer the city. He blockaded Tangier until he managed to get the English to withdraw on February 6, 1684. Before leaving, the British destroyed the city and the port. The Sultan ordered the city to be rebuilt - the population did not exceed 5,000 inhabitants - which would not be recovered until the beginning of the 19th century.

In the 18th century, the Strait of Gibraltar had great strategic value as the Atlantic entrance to the Mediterranean. The most important countries of Europe and the West set their sights on the western part of the northern coast of Africa. In 1786, Tangier became the diplomatic capital of Morocco. The Spanish consulate and the first delegation of the United States abroad were established in the city (1797). In 1821, Sultan Sulayman gave the US government the embassy building (bombed years later by the French, in 1844).

Political tensions in Europe and nationalism, the establishment of totalitarianism, would lead to escalations of wars shrouded in nationalism. Africa would be the great colony of the European powers: England, France, Germany, Belgium… would divide up land, creating countries. The location of Tangier turned the city into an important commercial centre for Morocco and into the centre of European diplomacy. In 1905, Kaiser Wilhelm II declared himself in favour of continuing Moroccan independence: this caused an international crisis.

In the 20th century, all the eyes of the European and Western powers were on Tangier. And they were not prepared for it to be under the political and commercial control of Morocco. In 1925, Belgium, Spain, the United States, France, the Netherlands, Portugal, the United Kingdom and the USSR agreed at the Algeciras Conference to have joint ownership of the city, which would become the “International Zone of Tangier”. From June 14, 1940, the day Nazi troops occupied Paris, until 1945, the city was occupied by troops sent by Franco. The occupation was not accepted by any country, except Nazi Germany. When the Allied Army advanced towards Germany, Franco's army withdrew and declared Tangier an open city.