Legation.org

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Title

The American Legation at Tangier, Morocco

Description

The Legation Building

The Museum building stands on and over the picturesque Rue d'Amerique inside the imposing walls of the old fortified Medina of Tangier. From the fourth floor terrace, there is a view of the harbor and Straits of Gibraltar, and, on a clear day, of Gibraltar and the Spanish towns of Allegories and Tarifa. It is a charming structure of architectural and historical significance. A gift to the U.S. in 1821 from Moroccan Sultan Moulay Suliman, it is the first piece of property acquired abroad by the U.S. government. The original structure, a stone building of the 18th century, was incorporated into an enlarged complex surrounding an attractive courtyard. During the first half of the 19th century a reception room was constructed over the narrow Rue d'Amerique. After 1891 a further expansion took place with the construction of a 3-story building along the same street and connected to the reception area.

In the 1920s two or more pieces of property were acquired across the street from the original structure, and an ambitious program of construction and restoration then took place under Consul General (and later Minister) Maxwell Blake. The most significant of Blake's additions was a Moorish pavilion overlooking a new courtyard in which antique doors, ceilings, and tiles from Fez were used. Elsewhere in the building, Blake added handsome 18th century lanterns, iron grillwork, and marble mantle pieces. When Blake had completed his work, the Legation had grown into an imposing edifice of more than 40 rooms. The noted American architectural historian, Charles Petersen, who carried out a detailed study of the Old American Legation in 1975, concluded that the complex has considerable architectural interest and merit.

Today thanks to the museum's supporters, all of this is being preserved and even expanded. During the summer of 1999 an addition was made to the museum, a rooftop room that offers visitors a 360 degree view of Tangier with stunning views of the old medina, the port, the Straits of Gibraltar, the new town, and the Rif Mountains. "The Minzah Room" has an outdoor terrace and is furnished in a traditional Moroccan style. It can accommodate more than 30 guests and is an ideal setting for receptions and even dinners.