St Andrew's Church, Tangier
The Church of Saint Andrew is an Anglican church in Tangier, Morocco. Consecrated in 1905, the church is within the Archdeaconry of Gibraltar. The building is constructed in a Moorish architectural style.
| St Andrew's Church | |
|---|---|
| Church of Saint Andrew | |
Church of St. Andrew | |
| 35°47′05″N 5°49′23″W / 35.78472°N 5.82306°W | |
| Address | Tangier |
| Country | Morocco |
| Denomination | Anglicanism |
| History | |
| Status | Church |
| Dedication | Andrew the Apostle |
| Consecrated | 1905 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Moorish |
| Completed | 1894 |
| Administration | |
| Archdeaconry | Gibraltar |
History edit
In 1880, Hassan I of Morocco donated land to the British community in order to build a small Anglican church in Tangier. The resulting church was soon found to have insufficient capacity for the increasing number of worshippers, and a new building was constructed in 1894 which became the Church of Saint Andrew.[1] It was consecrated in 1905.[2] The interior is designed as a fusion of numerous styles, notably Moorish. The belltower, shaped like a minaret, overlooks the adjacent cemetery.[3] Henri Matisse's painting of 1913, Landscape Viewed from a Window, depicts the church.[4]
The church has a number of memorial plaques, including one to commemorate Emily Keene, (1849–1944), Sherifa of Wazzan, who introduced the cholera vaccine to Morocco. She was a British humanitarian who married the Shareef of Ouazzane, a local religious leader. She died in Tangier and there is a plaque in the western side of the church to commemorate her - her actual grave is in the Wazzan family burial ground in the Marshan district of Tangier overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar. Another memorial commemorates Thomas Kirby-Green, one of the members of the Great Escape who was executed on recapture.[5]
Administratively, the church is in the Archdeaconry of Gibraltar.[6]
Notable burials edit
The churchyard holds the graves of a number of notable people:
- Christopher Gibbs, (1938–2018), antique dealer and collector, credited with inventing Swinging London[7]
- Walter Burton Harris, (1866–1933), a British diplomat, journalist and author[5]
- Claire de Menasce and her second husband Commander Roy Howell RN. Claude-Marie Vincendon, her daughter by her first marriage, was the third wife of Lawrence Durrell[8]
- Paul Lund, (1915–1966), British gangster and friend of William Burroughs[9]
- Sir Harry MacLean, (1848–1920), soldier and commander of the Moroccan Army[10]
References edit
- ^ "St Andrew's Church, Tangier". London Metropolitan Archives. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
- ^ Humphrys, Darren (2008). Frommer's Morocco. John Wiley & Sons. p. 280. ISBN 978-0-470-18403-5.
- ^ "Tangier: A delight for your senses". Iberia.com. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
- ^ Grenney, Veere (10 April 2017). "My favourite painting". Country Life.
- ^ a b "St Andrew's Church, Tangier, Morocco". Lonely Planet. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
- ^ "Church Locations". Diocese of Europe. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
- ^ Owens, Mitchell (13 July 2018). "Remembering Christopher Gibbs". Architectural Digest.
- ^ "Review of Lawrence Durrell's novel Balthazar" (PDF). Blackwells. p. 21. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
- ^ Lockley, Mike (6 November 2016). "The infamous gangster and tabloid favourite who hailed from Brum". Birmingham Mail.
- ^ Cook, William (16 November 2013). "Tangier-Hidden Treasure". The Spectator.
External links edit
- Flickr images