Tangier at the Crossroads: Memories of Cosmopolitanism and Dreams of Technological Modernity
This presentation looks at the development of the city of Tangier during two periods of extremely rapid transformation approximately a century apart. The first was at the beginning of the 20th century around the time during which Morocco was divided up by French and Spanish colonial powers into two protectorate zones. Although this colonial system changed the administrative and military landscape in the area surrounding the city, Tangier itself continued being a de facto International Zone until its formal declaration as such in 1923. The second period has been ongoing since shortly after Mohammed VI assumed the throne after the unexpected death of Hassan II in 1999. There are many parallels between the development of the city during these two periods. While the first period saw the introduction of railways, airports, and roads suitable for vehicular traffic, the second period brought a construction boom and the first significant upgrade to those facilities since Moroccan Independence in 1956. During both periods a growing population expanded the city well beyond its existing limits. The beginning of the 20th century saw an influx of foreign nationals as well as wealthier residents marking the growth of the city beyond the confines of Kasbah and walled medina. The last two decades have also seen the construction of new neighborhoods to accommodate rapid demographic expansion, as well as massive investments in infrastructure upgrades. Authorities have also declared a new “City Center” that is so far from the traditional medina as to be outside the “New City” of the Protectorate era. The current expansion of the city is enabled by the central government once again making tremendous investments and embracing a city that had largely been neglected since independence. In many ways, Tangier is cast as paradigmatic of modern Morocco. While these two periods are over a century apart and mark distinct periods in Moroccan history, a comparative analysis of urban developments during each is insightful. This presentation explores the dynamics of Tangier’s transformation since the early 20th century and poses questions regarding the implications for the city’s residents. The current expansion of the city is enabled by the central government once again making tremendous investments and embracing a city that had largely been neglected since independence, largely in an effort to attract investment from abroad, once again making Tangier an international zone, albeit it one under Moroccan sovereignty. Yet in many ways, Tangier is cast as paradigmatic of modern Morocco as a whole. While these two periods are over a century apart and mark distinct periods in Moroccan history, a comparative analysis of urban developments during each is insightful. This presentation explores the dynamics of Tangier’s transformation since the early 20th century and poses questions regarding the implications for the city’s residents.
Michael A. Toler
Archnet Content Manager, Aga Khan Documentation Center at MIT
Michael A. Toler received a PhD in Comparative Literature with a Certificate in Translation Studies from Binghamton University (SUNY). He has been the Archnet Content Manager since September 2012. Prior to that he served as the Program Director for the Al Musharaka Initiative of the National Institute for Technology and Liberal Education (NITLE), a Mellon Initiative. Michael was responsible for development of content for the Arab Culture and Civilization Online Resource, and for coordinating inter-institutional, collaborative endeavors of faculty, librarians, and technologists using technology to enhance teaching and research on topics relating to Islam, the Middle East, and North Africa. His personal research interests are focused on intersections between literature, popular culture, and the built environment in the Francophone Maghreb, particularly Morocco and Algeria.