Cultures Of Ceuta

The peculiar geographical location of Ceuta has made its small territory a place coveted by different civilisations, who settled there with the aim of controlling - politically, economically or commercially - their hinterlands. With them they brought their cultures, their religions, their idiosyncrasies...

The Ceuta of our day has its roots in four different communities, each with a long history behind them. The majority community is of Spanish origin, and therefore of western Christian culture, whose roots can be placed in the far-off opening up that came with the Edict of Milan in 313 and the late Roman basilica of the middle of the 4th century. A minority during the centuries of Islamic domination, it regained predominance following the conquest of the town by John I of Portugal's naval forces, predominance that has continued up to present time.

The second community in importance is the Islamic community, which occupied the city in 709 but had to abandon it in 1415, at the time of the Portuguese conquest. The third community is the Muslim, of which there were a few in the 18th century, their numbers increasing with the arrival of the Moorish soldiers ("Mogataces"), who came from Oranesado and who consolidated their position by enlisting in the military forces that accepted foreign troops from the end of the 19th century. They have a cemetery and numerous places of worship.

To speak of Judaism in Ceuta is to enter into the world of Christian and Muslim legends. Their presence has been constant, although not very numerous. They had their suburb quarter in the Islamic era and continued living and doing business with the Portuguese and Spaniards until they were expelled in 1710. However, with the liberal movement that appeared in 1812, they again began to do business and even to live in the city until, as a result of the 1859-60 war, they were allowed to register in the census, after which they obtained their own synagogue and cemetery.

At the end of the 20th century, the city's commercial possibilities increased, and with this, its relations with other nearby ports such as Gibraltar and Tangier. Fruit of these relations a small Hindu community settled, dedicated mainly to commerce, and which today is fully in the population. Currently very deep-rooted, its large number has made it the third most important community at local level. They have their sanctuaries and a crematory.

The peculiar geographical location of Ceuta has made its small territory a place coveted by different civilisations, who settled there with the aim of controlling - politically, economically or commercially - their hinterlands. With them they brought their cultures, their religions, their idiosyncrasies...

The Ceuta of our day has its roots in four different communities, each with a long history behind them. The majority community is of Spanish origin, and therefore of western Christian culture, whose roots can be placed in the far-off opening up that came with the Edict of Milan in 313 and the late Roman basilica of the middle of the 4th century. A minority during the centuries of Islamic domination, it regained predominance following the conquest of the town by John I of Portugal's naval forces, predominance that has continued up to present time.

The second community in importance is the Islamic community, which occupied the city in 709 but had to abandon it in 1415, at the time of the Portuguese conquest. The third community is the Muslim, of which there were a few in the 18th century, their numbers increasing with the arrival of the Moorish soldiers ("Mogataces"), who came from Oranesado and who consolidated their position by enlisting in the military forces that accepted foreign troops from the end of the 19th century. They have a cemetery and numerous places of worship.

To speak of Judaism in Ceuta is to enter into the world of Christian and Muslim legends. Their presence has been constant, although not very numerous. They had their suburb quarter in the Islamic era and continued living and doing business with the Portuguese and Spaniards until they were expelled in 1710. However, with the liberal movement that appeared in 1812, they again began to do business and even to live in the city until, as a result of the 1859-60 war, they were allowed to register in the census, after which they obtained their own synagogue and cemetery.

At the end of the 20th century, the city's commercial possibilities increased, and with this, its relations with other nearby ports such as Gibraltar and Tangier. Fruit of these relations a small Hindu community settled, dedicated mainly to commerce, and which today is fully in the population. Currently very deep-rooted, its large number has made it the third most important community at local level. They have their sanctuaries and a crematory.