American Legation Museum

The first American public property outside the United States. Morocco was the first country to recognise American independence in 1777; this building, donated by Sultan Moulay Slimane in 1821, housed the U.S. diplomatic mission for over a century. The museum inside focuses on the long relationship between Morocco and America — from the Barbary treaties to WWII, when Tangier was an international zone crawling with spies. The building itself is classic Tangier: multiple levels, hidden courtyards, rooms that lead nowhere. The art collection includes works by Marguerite McBey, who lived in Tangier and painted the changing city. The Paul Bowles wing celebrates the writer who made Tangier famous to American readers. The library holds first editions of the Beat Generation writers who followed. Best time: Morning Allow: 1-1.5 hours Combine with: Kasbah and Petit Socco