The original Legation building was home to the first U.S. ambassadorial residence abroad, established in 1777; this same year, Moroccan Sultan Mohamed III included the U.S. in a list of countries to which Morocco’s ports were open, thereby becoming the first foreign nation to publicly recognize the newly independent United States. These relations were formalized a few years later with the 1786 Moroccan-American Treaty of Friendship, which was signed by Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Mohamed III. This treaty, ratified by Congress in July 1787, has withstood more than 220 years, making it the longest unbroken treaty in United States history.
But why establish a Legation in Tangier at all? The geography of Northern Morocco and more specifically the position of Tangier provide one indication: Morocco lies at the westernmost entrance to the Straits of Gibraltar, and the rich Mediterranean is just beyond. Second, establishing a consul in Morocco by the sea recognized a threat: pirates. The young U.S. could not afford exorbitant ransoms for captured sailors, nor could they afford to pay protective tribute to a foreign ruler in exchange for protection, but political recognition provided a form of maritime security from both attacks and expenses.
Located within Tangier’s ancient medina walls, the Legation building became the first U.S. property and diplomatic mission abroad on December 4, 1821, after Sultan Moulay Slimane (1792 – 1822) gifted the land to the American people. The building’s diplomatic function lasted more than 140 years, after which the Legation assumed multiple rolls until becoming a museum in 1976.
After a long time, the original 18th-century stone building was in need of repair. In 1926, Congress finally allocated funds to the new Consul Maxwell Black (serving between 1910 – 1917 and 1925 – 1941), who turned the old Legation building into an enlarged complex surrounding a courtyard, which is in essence what we see today on the ground. . Consul Maxwell Blake undertook an ambitious program of restoration and renovation, gradually incorporating the surrounding buildings into the Legation. He also added doors, tilework, lanterns, grillwork, and mantelpieces from around Morocco and neighboring Spain that he meticulously selected. The resulting harmonious blend of Andalusi and Moorish architectural traditions is still evident today throughout the museum in beautiful mashrabiya and a pavilion overlooking the courtyard.
During World War II, Tangier played a major role as a strategic entrance to the Mediterranean and hosted a number of Allied troops, including U.S. military personnel. The Legation building itself was used as a clandestine base by the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), and was the headquarters for military planning operations in North Africa that lead to landings in France and Italy in 1942. Tangier enjoyed a general reputation of intrigue and espionage throughout this period, which was captured in the 1942 film Casablanca (although this was filmed entirely in Hollywood).
After the end of the Spanish and French Protectorates and Moroccan independence in 1956, all foreign diplomatic missions moved to Rabat, Morocco’s new capital. The Legation building continued as the Consulate for five more years, until 1961 when it was turned into a Western Arabic language school for American diplomats (1961 – 1970).
On July 4, 1976, was established the Tangier American Legation Museum Society, transforming the old Legation building into a museum and cultural center. The museum and connected library document this rich history of the relationship between the United States and Morocco through its art collection, documents, seminars, concerts, lectures, and support services to the community.
The Legation promotes academic research in North Africa through one of the best libraries on the history and culture of Morocco, which contains more than 8,000 materials in Arabic, French, English, Spanish, and Portuguese. It also contains the ambassadorial archives, memorabilia, and book collection of former Ambassador Joseph Verner Reed (1981 – 1984), and one of the only printed and bound copies of the Tangier Gazette, which ran in various forms from 1884 – 1960. Another hallmark of the library is a large collection of antique maps (some of which are on display in the museum) that document European, American, and Moroccan explorations of the region. Additionally, the Arab Pavilion of the museum houses Malcolm Forbes’ book collection and two large dioramas showing the Battle of the Three Kings and the Battle of Songhai.
The museum maintains a collection of engravings, maps, paintings, drawings, and artifacts spanning multiple media and over 1,000 years of Moroccan history. When it opened, the museum primarily featured a large gift of over 300 objects (maps, prints, paintings, mirrors, rugs, and a grandfather clock) donated to the museum by Donald Angus, many of which are still on display today. Other significant gifts came from Marguerite McBey, wife of Scottish artist James McBey, who donated her husband’s paintings and sketchbooks, and William Pickering, who donated a number of carpets from his personal collection. The ground floor of the museum showcases Moroccan and international artists who have worked in and depicted Morocco from the 17th to 20th centuries, as well as a set of rooms dedicated to the life and works of Paul Bowles, including his music recordings. The upper floors are laid out as a series of period rooms filled with antique carpets, historical prints, documents, engravings, paintings, and maps. These objects “all reflect the fascinated affectation Tangier has long evoked in visitors” and combine to tell engaging stories about the past .
The room details the saga of Ion Pericardis, a Greek-American playboy prominent in Tangier’s foreign community, who on May 8, 1904 was kidnapped by Ahmed er Raisouli’s bandits. Raisouli, who has been described as a combination of Robin Hood, feudal baron, and tyrannical bandit, was considered the last of the Barbary Pirates. In return for Pericardis, Raisouli demanded a $70,000 ransom, safe conduct, and control of two of Morocco’s wealthiest districts from Sultan Abdelaziz (1878 – 1943). Despite the circumstances, Pericardis came to admire Raisouli, even going so far as to say “He is not a bandit, not a murderer, but a patriot forced into acts of brigandage to save his native soil and his people from the yoke of tyranny”. Pericardis was eventually released on June 21, 1904 after pressure on the Sultan to accept Raisouli’s demands. The kidnapping story was loosely adapted into the 1975 film The Wind and the Lion, with a significant Hollywood twist: Pericardis was played by Candice Bergen. The room houses paintings by Pericardis in addition to photographs of himself, his kidnapper, and a copy of the wire sent by John Hay, all attempts to bring the saga alive for visitors more than a century later.
The museum is full of objects that spin stories and tell tales, including James McBey’s 1952 oil painting, Zohra, who is known as the “Moroccan Mona Lisa” for her eyes that follow the visitor around the room; a 19th-century toy theatre likely from the French Pellerin d’Epinel (a woodcutter and card maker founded in 1796) meant to entertain visitors; a letter from George Washington to Moulay Abdallah; three sets of prehistoric arrowheads from the Grottos of Hercules; a collection of posters left over from the Jazz ambassadors from the 1960s; and, last but not least, Henry Kissinger’s tie. All of these stories bring to life the collections and history of the Legation, showcasing its role as a repository of the relationship between the U.S. and Morocco. More than that, the Legation creates a cultural bridge between two worlds, between past and present, and between fantasy and reality.