Did you know that the impressionist painter Henri Matisse made two trips to Tangier in 1912, and there he painted up to 20 canvases of what he called the painter's paradise?
Of the works carried out in this city of Morocco for the one who was the promoter of fauvism one of the most famous is the one called Window to Tangier.
In this painting Matisse shows the panoramic view from the room where he was staying in the Villa de Francia hotel, now recently reopened.
And in said view, in addition to the kasba, highlights in the foreground the St Andrews Anglican Church, a curious place that is worth visiting in your trip to Tangier.
Indeed, in this once great international city, in 1894 the St Andrews church on land given to the Queen Victoria by Sultan Moulay Hassan I.
Previously, in 1661, a first Anglican Christian church had already been built during the time of Charles II of England, when Tangier was part of the dowry of the Princess Catherine of Braganza to marry said king. But this church was destroyed when the English left in 1684.
The current English church in Tangier From the outside it will look like a mosque, with the classic minaret tower, somewhat lower than usual.
Visit St Andrews Church in Tangier
To visit it you must enter the garden located in front of the aforementioned Villa de Francia hotel, very close to the April 9 square, main access to the Tangier medina.
You will see that the garden actually houses a small Christian cemetery where, out of curiosity, you should look at the group of graves of the 13 members of a crew of a Canadian plane that crashed in 1944.
To visit the church building inside you can notify the guardian yassine, who for a tip will open it for you and show you the curious mix of cultures inside.
La St Andrews Anglican Church It has a clear Moroccan style decoration, with horseshoe arches that separate the side naves from the central one.
You will be struck by the stucco decorations and the cedar ceiling of the nave and choir made in their day by craftsmen from Fez.
The main altar is located in a central hole that could well be a mihrab, the main sacred corner of the mosques.
yassine will show you the stucco inscription of the Our Father around the choir vault.
To complete this mix of cultures, in addition to the Christian and Muslim elements, you will be able to see a couple of wooden plaques with inscriptions of the Hebrew religion.
Of course, inside the church a reproduction of the famous painting by Matisse, With the St Andrews church spotlight.
In short, a curious visit that will confirm the historically international character of the Tangier city.
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