Michael Toler

Michael is the Content Manager for Archnet, Secretary for the Board of TALIM, and administrator of this site.
Categories Morocco, Research Center, Strait of Gibraltar, Tangier

Mapping Mittelmeerland – An Architectural Mediterranean

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Mittelmeerland will investigate the future of the Mediterranean and research six different cities over three years. In the second workshop we will study the dynamic territory of Tangier and the mutual dependencies of land and water. The Archictectural Association (AA) School of Architecture, London Yesterday's final session of the 10-day Mittelmeerland workshop in Tangier featured … Read more Mapping Mittelmeerland – An Architectural Mediterranean

Categories Books, Diplomatic History, Film, Morocco

His Emancipation From Slavery Would Be Agreeable To Morocco’s Emperor

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Note: In our continuing series of posts touching on the long history of Moroccan-American relations, we reproduce below the text of a passport issued to the “Prince Among Slaves,” Abd al Rahman Ibrahima Sori.  Passports in those days were not what we think of today; they were basically safe conduct letters. The President at whose … Read more His Emancipation From Slavery Would Be Agreeable To Morocco’s Emperor

Categories Books, Museum, TALIM

Judged For Its Cover: Enchantment Wins Design Award

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Breaking news from the graphic design world: Graphic Design USA presents a 2011 AMERICAN GRAPHIC DESIGN AWARD to Studio Schaad Design for Enchantment Book Cover and Spreads. We are very pleased for Cathleen Schaad of Studio Schaad, who has designed a beautiful book, beautifully written by Boston University professor Diana Wylie. Ever since its publication … Read more Judged For Its Cover: Enchantment Wins Design Award

Categories Diplomatic History, Legation Tales, Museum, Research Center, Tangier

Minister Gummere & Teddy Roosevelt’s Big Stick In Morocco

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Samuel R. Gummere, First American Minister to Morocco (Tangier, 1898 – 1909) Note: This guest post by Mehdi Zainoune, summer intern en route to studies at Sciences Po in Paris, is part of our series of vignettes from the history of Morocco-United States relations.  Samuel René Gummere (February 19, 1849 – May 28, 1920) was … Read more Minister Gummere & Teddy Roosevelt’s Big Stick In Morocco

Categories AIMS, CAORC, Literacy and Skills Training, TALIM

CLS Tangier: Language, Culture & Heritage

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TALIM's Fatima Benguerch with CLS students and women's literacy group As the State Department funded 2011 Arabic Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) program in Tangier draws to a close, it's time to reflect on what makes Tangier a special place to learn Arabic.  Tangier is but one of several sites for CLS Arabic programs; there is … Read more CLS Tangier: Language, Culture & Heritage

Categories Cultural Diplomacy, Music, TALIM, Tangier

Ramadan Notes 2011

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Photo by Rachid Tefersiti Perhaps I should say Ramadan Notes 1432 (A.H., not A.D.). We marked Ramadan in the traditional ways the Legation has ever since my predecessor Thor Kuniholm established the pattern.  We started the week with our Moroccan NGO partners FTAM (the Fondation Tanger al-Madina) and the distribution of foodstuffs to needy families … Read more Ramadan Notes 2011

Categories Morocco, Tangier

Sidewalk, Street, Souk: It’s All the Same

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The Wall Street Journal tells us that some Americans suffer from "sidewalk rage," which sometimes triggers "intermittent explosive disorder."  Well, they better stay away from Morocco, or at least Moroccan cities.  Better to stretch out on some secluded beach in Agadir than get stressed out walking from A to B in downtown Tangier. In the … Read more Sidewalk, Street, Souk: It’s All the Same

Categories Diplomatic History, Historic Landmark, Interzone, Morocco, Research Center

Legation, Consulate, Diplomatic Agency: Tangier’s American Presence

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(click on picture to enlarge) Among all the documents that are squirelled away in odd corners of the Legation's research library or administrative files, every so often an item of more than passing interest surfaces. What we're looking at here is the unmistakable pink of the State Department "airgram" announcing in June 1956 that the … Read more Legation, Consulate, Diplomatic Agency: Tangier’s American Presence

Categories AIMS, CAORC, Literacy and Skills Training, Morocco, TALIM

Deciphering Moroccan Arabic, 1911 – 2011

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"Shnoo the Hell is Going on H'naa?" – the subtitle to Aaron Sakulich's book Moroccan Arabic (Collaborative Media International) – probably captures the bewilderment of many a foreign student of darija or Moroccan colloquial Arabic. For modern day students trying to fathom how to transition from what they learn in Modern Standard or classical Arabic … Read more Deciphering Moroccan Arabic, 1911 – 2011