Tangier’s Skyline Controversy: Historic Monument Overshadowed by Luxury Towers

Large towers are under construction on the corniche of the city of Tangier as part of a large real estate project. The apartments have started to be marketed at 10 million dirhams per unit. The only problem: the project is directly adjacent to the historic Oued El Makhazine school, one of the most emblematic monuments and charged with symbolic and historical value in the city. This exasperates cultural actors.

They see it as a disregard for the laws in force, in particular Law 22.80 on the preservation of historic buildings, an explicit threat against one of the main historic monuments of the city. This law imposes a protection perimeter of at least 100 meters in radius around any classified monument, with the obligation to carry out a heritage impact study before any building permit is issued, particularly when it comes to projects likely to modify the nature of the site or threaten its historical and cultural value.

Some cultural actors deplore the lack of official clarifications from the authorities concerned, whether elected councils or local authorities.

The project initially authorized is not the same as the one currently under construction, learns the site Rue20, adding that it has been modified due to a refusal concerning the buildings located near the historic monument as well as the number of buildings planned.