Right in the heart of the old Medina in Tangiers you'll find the American Legation - a thriving cultural centre with a museum, conference venue and library. This is the only historic landmark of the United States located abroad. It is located in Morocco in northern Africa.

The American Legation was established back in 1777. At this time, Morocco was the only power to recognize the United States as an independent country.

The Museum building is located inside the imposing walls of the fortified Medina of Tangiers, on Rue d'Amerique.

The views from the fourth floor terrace are amazing. You can see down to the harbour and the Straits of Gibraltar. On a clear day you can see all the way across to the rock of Gibraltar and the Spanish towns of Tarifa and Algeciras.

The building itself is very charming. It was given to the Americans by the Moroccan Sultan, Moulay Suliman, in 1821 and became the first piece of property acquired abroad by the U.S. government.

The stone building surrounds an attractive 18th century courtyard. In the early 19th century, a reception room was built over the narrow Rue d?Amerique. Since then numerous expansions have been added including; a 3-story building along the same street that's connected to the reception area; a Moorish pavilion overlooking a new courtyard; pretty18th century lanterns; iron grillwork; and marble mantle pieces.

Most of the construction and restoration took place under the Consul General (and later Minister) Maxwell Blake. By the end, he had created an imposing edifice of more than 40 rooms.

The museum houses some superb art including the Angus and Mac Bey collections. There are also numerous restored rooms that you can take guided tours around.