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Rabat – Spain’s government completed the transfer of ownership of the Cervantes Grand Theater in Tanger to Morocco on Saturday.
“The Protocol between the Kingdom of Spain and the Kingdom of Morocco for the irrevocable donation of the ‘Gran Teatro Cervantes’ property in Tangier, signed in Rabat on February 13 2019, will come into effect on March 1, 2023,” Spain’s Official State Gazette said on Saturday.
The transfer of ownership was approved by Spain’s government in 2019, with plans to be finalized in February 2023.
The theater had been under Spanish ownership since 1928, it was inaugurated in 1913.
The 1,400-seat theater was one of the best and most well-known in North Africa, housing several high-profile performances such as plays by Shakespeare and other notable playwrights.
The building has been in a state of disrepair for decades, although Spain’s and Morocco’s government have launched several renovation and repair programs over the past few years.
With the transfer of ownership, it is expected that the theater will continue undergoing renovations before being managed by Morocco to be used for cultural activities.
It is also expected that the theater’s offerings will continue to include “Spanish components.”
The news comes in light of increased cultural cooperation between the two countries, since diplomatic tensions between the two countries ended in March 2022.
The Spanish government has also been planning to open a new branch of the Cervantes Institute in Laayoune, following through with plans that dated back to 2016.
The Cervantes Institute is an international organization created by the Spanish government to promote the study and teaching of Spanish literature and culture.
The institute and theater are both named after Miguel de Cervantes, one of Spain’s most important literary icons and the writer of Don Quixote.
