A “fairy” palace in Morocco, built by an American for his girlfriend, turns into a museum

The palace is located on a hill overlooking the Strait of GibraltarAnd there, behind the crossing that separates two continents, the southern bank of the Iberian neighbor appears, which is only a few kilometers away from this spot.

It is a house isolated from the world, built in 1878 by a Greek-American, named Ion Perdicaris, in the heart of Rumailat Forest To receive his wife suffering from tuberculosis, as a token of love, the palace was built in a structural architectural style that combines the Anglo-Saxon style and the medieval classical style that evokes the shape of castles of europe.

This historical space Today, it has been turned into a museum that combines the definition of this historical figure and reviews the biodiversity of this region and the region as a whole.

According to the organizers of the cultural project, the museum display in the Pedrikaris Palace building is distinguished by its richness and diversity, as the opening of the building comes within the framework of the “Heritage Month” activities.

A new life for Perdicaris

Opened Saturday, April 23 at the Urban Park perdicarisThe Al-Rumailat Forest, the Heritage Definition Center “Perdicaris”, in the presence of a number of officials from the region, in order to break the isolation of this landmark around which legends and tales revolve and in order to give it a new life.

The regional director of culture in Tangiers, Kamal Benlimoun, said in a statement to the media, “The repair, rehabilitation and equipment works that benefited this historical landmark made it rise from its ruins after decades of neglect,” noting that employing it as a heritage identification center aims to “enrich cultural structures and value the role of architectural heritage. Authentic from it that dates back a while colonization Injecting a new dynamism into the cultural tourism paths of the city and the region.”

In turn, the Regional Director of the Water and Forests Sector in Tangiers, Akaboun Halim, considered that the opening of this center coincides with a defining moment characterized by the launch of the “Forests of Morocco 2020-2030” strategy on the ground, explaining that it is a plan that reflects the new trend in the management of Morocco’s natural resources, especially with regard to the valorization of Morocco’s natural resources. Protected areas and their openness to the local population and visitors in general.

A place for watching

Also present at the inauguration ceremony of the Perdicaris Center in Tangier was Rachid Amhjour, director of the Palace of Culture and Arts in Tangier, who confirmed that the site of the palace is breathtaking due to the beauty of the surrounding scenery, from forest, sea and mountain, praising at the same time the way the exhibits are organized inside the museum and its aesthetics.

Amhjour added, in a statement to “Sky News Arabia”, that this place will undoubtedly receive the attention of various segments from all regions of the Kingdom, given the importance of the center in introducing Moroccan heritage.

The spokesman added, “If this natural site has combined all these wonderful qualities, it will still need a cafe and a restaurant to welcome visitors, who will undoubtedly like to stay for a short period of time. With a simple effort to prepare it, this place will turn into one of the most beautiful Moroccan spaces. At all, you can witness the organization of various artistic evenings and celebrations in the middle of the forest of Perdicaris, and thus it will bring the audience artistic enjoyment and therapeutic moments in the fresh air, considering the forest of Rmailat surrounding the palace in itself the lung of the entire Tangiers.”

Hollywood story of the palace

For many years, the “Perdicaris Palace” had been arousing a sense of mystery and dread, due to its strange location and its distance from the city, so tales and legends arose, and only those who knew of its inimitable story dared approach it.

I will build you a palace in the most beautiful places in the world,” with this promise made by “Ion Perdicaris,” a Greek-American diplomat and businessman, to his wife whom he loved to the point of madness.

Aeon brought tree seedlings from different continents of the world and established shelters for animals and birds as a gift for his tuberculosis wife.

His joy was not complete after the rebel Ahmed Raissouni entered the line, the latter was revolting against the Spanish presence at the time and needed money to finance his revolution.

In May 1904, Raissouni went with his fighters to kidnap Ion’s wife and son Cromwell, stipulating 70,000 gold coins for the in love husband, which made the consul seek help from Sultan Moulay Abdel Aziz and in the United States.

The wife was liberated, but the strange thing is, according to historians, that she did not complain about the kidnapping, but praised the “valor” of Raissouni, whom she considered a “hero” who was fighting for the liberation of his country, as the whole story was filmed in the 1979 movie The Storm and the Lion starring Shawn Connery.