Tangier

by Iain Finlayson

Published 3 February 1992
No city in the world has quite the exotic allure of Tangier. From the 17th century, it has been a city of refuge and excitements - a city where sex is cheap, drugs are plentiful, and a place where the outcasts of the world can breathe easily. The golden years of Tangier began after World War I and barely survived World War II. Among those who sought sanctuary or inspiration from the city were Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and Ronnie Kray, the unhappy Woolworth heriress Barbara Hutton, Tennessee Williams, Joe Orton, Kenneth Halliwell, Cecil Beaton, Ned Rorem and Truman Capote.