Morocco to give new life to 106-year-old Cervantes theatre In Tangier

Spain has handed ownership of the 106-year-old Cervantes theatre to Morocco after a long shutdown in return for its restoration.

The ownership of the theatre was handed to Morocco following a decision of the Spanish government in return for maintaining the Spanish cultural character of the monument.

Another condition includes the creation of a Spanish cultural center in the building.

The revamp of the dilapidated building, which has been closed since the 1980s, would require investments worth 2.3 million euros and would last about 18 months.

The agency to develop the northern region has already launched a tender to restore the theatre, located at the heart of the old town not far from the port.

The 1200 square-meter theatre was built in 1913 by architect Diego Jimenez Armstrong, who was born in Tangier and was named after Miguel de Cervantes, one of the most important figures in Spanish literature and the author of well-known works such as Don Quixote.

In another development, it was decided at talks between the Moroccan and Spanish Culture ministers on the sidelines of the high-level meeting held in Rabat early this month that Spain will open a branch of its language centers known as Cervantes Institute in the Moroccan southern city of Laayoune.

General Director of the institute Luis Garcia Montero said in 2022 that Morocco is “fundamental” to the Cervantes network of institutions, highlighting the importance of the Laayoune project specifically.

The official said that the cultural and educational aspects of their collaboration were important in light of the developing relations between Madrid and Rabat.

Spanish is one of the most spoken languages in Morocco’s southern provinces, along with Arabic and the Hassania dialect.

The Cervantes Institute is an international organization created by the Spanish government to promote the study and teaching of Spanish literature and culture.