For days, the city of Tangier has been living to the rhythm of a debate and criticism regarding the authorisation to repair a building inside the Medina, with many activists and those interested in its history and tourist landmarks warning that it will destroy one of the most panoramic views of the "Bay of Tangier" that was signed and painted by great international artists.
According to the people of the Medina in Tangier, it concerns the house or villa of the Spanish "Carmina", a woman who recently died at the age of nearly 100. The building was a private museum where paintings by the international artist Picasso were displayed, representing him in the city.
According to the same sources, the Spanish woman owned a well-known museum in the capital, Madrid, and in her lifetime she "refused to block the view for visitors to the Medina," before the building was purchased by a foreign person who obtained a permit and began construction work.
A source from the local authorities in the city confirmed in an interview with the electronic newspaper Hespress that the building under criticism "has a permit, and the work taking place in it is not against the law as some are promoting," according to his expression.
Youssef Chebaa, a writer and community activist in the city of Tangier, criticised the city officials for granting the "permit" in the first place, because the Medina "benefited from a Royal project within the framework of the Tangier-Metropole project, which is a project of His Majesty."
Chebaa added, in an interview with the electronic newspaper Hespress on the subject, that "the ongoing work threatens to destroy a panoramic view that is part of the path of the artist Matisse in the city of Tangier, the well-known French artist who painted the panoramic view overlooking the Mediterranean Sea and titled it 'Bay of Tangier'."
The same speaker further explained that "the view threatened with being blocked by the building where work is underway at full speed was painted alongside the French artist Matisse by Mohamed Ali Rbati, who is the first artist in Morocco," considering that this balcony represents "the only outlet for the city of Tangier and its residents to see its bay for free."
The same activist did not stop there, but went on to say that "there are many restaurants and houses that have turned into guest houses, and if you want to enjoy this view from them, you have to pay 70 dirhams for a cup of tea," stressing that "if this view is blocked, we have no choice but to close the Medina and pray the funeral prayer for Tangier," according to his expression.
Chebaa pointed out that many tourists visit Tangier specifically to "see this unique panoramic view," highlighting that "it is among the historical scenes that deserve to market Tangier and its hosting of the World Cup," and expressing surprise at "how one can allow this stunning natural view to be blocked."
The community activist called for "the concerted efforts of the city's people in order not to allow this panoramic view to be blocked due to its historical and tourist significance," confirming that "the Tangier commune is invited to follow the procedure of expropriating the mentioned building for the public good, and preserving one of the elements of attracting Moroccan tourism in the world."
Chebaa also pointed out that "the panoramic view threatened with being blocked was previously printed on banknotes in the history of Moroccan currency," and appealed to the authorities to intervene so that "the city does not deprive the tourists who visit it of this view, which represents capital displayed in major international museums."
The electronic newspaper Hespress tried to contact the Tangier City Council to get its point of view on the subject, but it did not respond to its repeated calls over two days.
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