Located on the Mediterranean Sea east of Tangier, Tetouan was for centuries an important point of contact between Morocco and the Arab culture of Andalusia on the Iberian Peninsula.
After the Reconquista - the resumption of Andalusia by the Christians of Spain - Tetouan was rebuilt by Andalusian refugees who were expelled by the Spanish.
In 1997, the medina of Tetouan was inscribed on the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites as historic exceptionally well preserved, showing all the features of the high Andalusian culture.