A true nursery for rising generations

Cultural structures of Tangier-Tétouan-Al Hoceima

Numerous large-scale cultural projects have been carried out in recent months in the Tangier-Tétouan-Al Hoceima region, serving as a genuine lever for sustainable development and a breeding ground for training emerging generations and nurturing talent, in addition to their essential role in cultural animation.
These structures play an important role in promoting the cultural dynamic in the region and constitute a real outlet for the population, in addition to their role in broadening the scope of cultural, theatrical, and artistic activities, and enhancing the rich cultural heritage of the North region, while consolidating territorial and spatial justice.
In this regard, a global budget of approximately 195.5 million dirhams has been allocated to the development and diversification of the cultural offering in the region during the period 2024-2027.
These projects are divided into four programmes: “the development of cultural and recreational festivals, cultural and artistic animation, and the restoration and enhancement of heritage”, “the support and creation of cultural infrastructure”, “the strengthening of cultural identity”, and “the promotion of the regional cultural offering, by improving the management of archaeological sites, through the creation of a specialized regional institution”.
They notably include the upgrading of several archaeological sites in Martil, the Lixus site, the Oued Al Makhazine battle site, the fortresses of Ksar Sghir, Chefchaouen, and Tangier, and certain historical monuments in Ouezzane, in addition to the upgrading, equipping, and construction of cultural centres in Beni Bouayach, Ksar El Kbir, Fahs-Anjra, and Chefchaouen.
Among the most important cultural structures established in 2024 is the Tangier Palace of Arts and Culture, an architectural and artistic gem inaugurated last March. It includes a large performance hall with a capacity of 1,400 seats, two rooms that can accommodate 200 people, as well as a recording studio, a workshop room, and several other facilities.
This cultural edifice, created according to recognized engineering standards, has successfully hosted major events, such as the International Jazz Day, organised by UNESCO, the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz, and the second edition of the National Assizes of Advanced Regionalisation.
The cultural infrastructure of the city of Tangier was also strengthened at the beginning of this year with the opening of the Beni Makada cultural centre, the most populous district nationally.
This is a distinguished cultural edifice that adds to the large-scale cultural projects enjoyed by the city of the Strait, as it aims in particular to promote cultural action in the Beni Makada district, which has been a breeding ground for many emblematic figures of culture and art.
The main objective of this structure, which includes a conservatory of music and choreography, a dance hall, a library for children and adults, an art gallery, and a multimedia room, is to expand the cultural offering for the benefit of the population and to instil in young people a love for their homeland and the values of tolerance, coexistence, and equality.
In Ouezzane, a new cultural centre has been established, offering an innovative platform to welcome young talents from the province, highlight the city's authentic spiritual and artistic heritage, and promote its cultural influence.
The city of Chefchaouen, for its part, has acquired a remarkable structure aimed at highlighting the characteristics and components of Mediterranean culinary culture, namely the “House of the Mediterranean Diet”, created following the recognition of the Mediterranean Diet as intangible heritage by UNESCO in 2010.
This structure, housed in an old building from the 1930s colonial quarter, consists of several rooms using various resources: objects, photos, videos, descriptions, theatrical presentations, and an immersive 360° room, in addition to a shop offering local Mediterranean Diet products.
Like other prefectures and provinces in the region, Al Hoceima province has seen the implementation of numerous cultural projects and buildings as part of the enrichment of pilot cultural infrastructure and the support of human development objectives.
In this context, several cultural projects have been carried out, including the Imzouren cultural centre, in addition to the upgrading and valorisation of a number of historical sites and monuments in Al Hoceima province, while other structures are under construction, namely the Grand Theatre of Al Hoceima and the music conservatory.
These projects are expected to promote the cultural dynamic of the province, offering young people in the province distinguished spaces to develop their talents and showcase their creations in various artistic and expressive fields, in addition to promoting artistic practice and strengthening Al Hoceima's presence on the national and international cultural scene.
These cultural structures, which are distinguished by an original and unique architectural style, will serve as an outlet for the youth of the province to showcase their creative talents, especially since their inauguration comes in a context marked by the completion of upgrading and valorisation projects for several historical monuments and sites (Al-Mazamma, Bades, the red fortress of Arbaa Taourirt, the Kasbah of Snada, and the fortress of Torres).
Regarding the province of Larache, it should be noted that the creation of the “Lixus” cultural complex, which includes a large performance hall with a capacity of approximately 475 seats, an open-air theatre, a media library, an art gallery, and workshop rooms, represents an important initiative aimed at supporting the cultural dynamic, strengthening the cultural offering in the province, and attracting as many cultural events as possible.
These important cultural structures are part of the continuous efforts of the Tangier-Tétouan-Al Hoceima region to improve the quality of life of the population and strengthen the role of culture in achieving sustainable and comprehensive development, as well as in the preparations for Tangier and other cities in the region to host major national and international sporting and cultural events.

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