Ceuta and Melilla are two of Spain’s most unusual cities. Both are geographically located in North Africa, yet politically and legally they form part of Spain. Their residents are Spanish citizens and the two cities are also part of the European Union. But how did Spain come to have two cities on the African continent? The answer takes us back more than 500 years.
Spain Expat Press Editorial Team
Ceuta and Melilla – Spain on African soil
A glance at the map can initially be surprising.
Ceuta lies on the North African coast, directly opposite the Iberian Peninsula and close to the Strait of Gibraltar.
Melilla is situated further east on the Mediterranean coast.
Today, both are autonomous Spanish cities, known as ciudades autónomas, and form part of the Spanish state.
Their history, however, stretches back much further than the modern borders of either Spain or Morocco.
Ceuta has more than 2,000 years of history
Ceuta is far older than Spain or Morocco in their modern forms.
Its strategic position made the area important from antiquity. Phoenicians, Carthaginians and Romans all left their mark on the region.
Under the Roman Empire, the settlement known as Septem developed into an important strategic point close to the Strait of Gibraltar.
Following the decline of Roman power, control of the area changed repeatedly. Vandals, Byzantines and, later, a succession of Muslim dynasties ruled Ceuta at different times.
Its position between the Mediterranean and Atlantic ensured that the city remained strategically important for trade and military purposes for centuries.
1415: the beginning of Portuguese Ceuta
A decisive turning point came in 1415.
Portugal, under King John I, captured Ceuta.
This marked the beginning of continuous Iberian rule over the city.
Ceuta initially became a Portuguese possession and an important base for Portugal’s growing presence in North Africa.
How Ceuta eventually became Spanish
Another major change came in 1580, when the crowns of Spain and Portugal were united under Philip II.
The period, known as the Iberian Union, lasted until 1640.
When Portugal subsequently restored its independence from the Spanish monarchy, Ceuta did not follow.
The city remained linked to the Spanish Crown.
The Treaty of Lisbon of 1668 formally recognised Spanish sovereignty over Ceuta.
Ceuta has therefore been under continuous Iberian rule for more than 600 years – first Portuguese and subsequently Spanish.
Melilla became Spanish in 1497
Melilla followed a different historical path.
Like Ceuta, its history reaches back into antiquity. Phoenicians and Romans were present in the region, and the ancient settlement was known as Rusadir.
Over the centuries, the area came under the control of different North African powers and dynasties.
Its defining moment came in 1497.
Forces led by Pedro de Estopiñán, acting on behalf of the Duke of Medina Sidonia, took Melilla.
The city subsequently became incorporated into the Castilian-Spanish sphere.
This means Melilla’s Spanish history stretches back more than five centuries.
Melilla remained Spanish for centuries
There is an important historical distinction between Melilla and the Spanish Protectorate in Morocco.
Spain established its protectorate over parts of northern Morocco only in the 20th century.
By then, Melilla had already been under Spanish rule for more than four centuries.
The city was therefore not simply a territory acquired as part of the Spanish Protectorate.
The same principle applied to Ceuta.
When the protectorate came to an end in 1956, both cities remained part of Spain.
What happened in 1956?
The year 1956 is crucial to understanding the modern map of North Africa.
France and Spain ended their respective protectorates and Morocco gained full independence.
Ceuta and Melilla, however, did not become part of the newly independent Moroccan state.
From the Spanish perspective, the historical distinction was clear: neither city was simply a territory belonging to the protectorate that Spain was relinquishing.
Ceuta had already been linked to Spain for centuries.
So had Melilla.
Were Ceuta and Melilla Spanish before Morocco existed?
This popular claim needs some historical context.
Saying that Ceuta and Melilla were Spanish “before Morocco existed” is too simplistic.
Long before Moroccan independence in 1956, different Moroccan sultanates and dynasties had existed in the region. Morocco has a history stretching back many centuries.
What can accurately be said is this:
Ceuta’s continuous period of Iberian rule began in 1415.
Melilla has been under Spanish rule since 1497.
The modern independent Kingdom of Morocco emerged in 1956 following the end of the French and Spanish protectorates.
That distinction is important when trying to understand why the borders look as they do today.
From military strongholds to modern Spanish cities
For centuries, Ceuta and Melilla were heavily influenced by their military and strategic roles.
Over time, however, they developed into modern cities with remarkably diverse populations.
Christian, Muslim, Jewish and Hindu communities have all contributed to the distinctive cultural identity of the cities, particularly in their more recent history.
Today, both have their own Statutes of Autonomy.
Since 1995, Ceuta and Melilla have officially held the status of autonomous cities of Spain.
They are therefore fully integrated into the Spanish state.
More than five centuries of shared history with Spain
On a modern map, Ceuta and Melilla can appear to be geographical anomalies.
Their present-day status, however, can only be understood by looking back several centuries.
Ceuta entered a continuous period of Iberian rule in 1415, initially under Portugal and later under Spain.
Melilla entered the Castilian-Spanish sphere in 1497.
Both remained Spanish when the European protectorates in Morocco came to an end in 1956.
Their location on the African continent may seem unusual.
Their connection with Spanish history is anything but recent: it stretches back more than five centuries.
