Mendoub Palace (Tangier)

The governance of the Tangier International Zone was entrusted to an administrator appointed by the colonial powers and a personal representative of the Sultan of Morocco, who from 1923 was known as the Mendoub. The main office and residence of the Mendoub was in the former German consulate, or Mendoubia, now the Tangier commercial court. The Mendoub Palace was built as a secondary residence in 1929 by Mendoub Mohammed Tazi.

The property was purchased in 1970 by Malcolm Forbes, the American publisher of Forbes magazine,[2] who converted it into a museum.

The museum had a collection of a total of 115,000 models of toy soldiers. These figures re-enacted the major battles of history; from Waterloo to Dien Bien Phû, realistically recreated with lighting and sound effects. Entire armies stood on guard in the showcases, while in the garden, 600 statuettes bear silent homage to the Battle of Three Kings. The collection contained pieces from the figurine manufacturers Britains, C.B.G. Mignot, George Heyde, Elastolin and Lineol, Barclay and Manoil. Among the many battles reenacted, the collection also contained historic events such as the funeral cortege of JFK. The toy soldiers collection was curated and built by Peter and Ann Johnson.[3]

After Forbes' death in 1990, the property was put up for sale by his children and it is now owned by the government of Morocco as a residence for visiting dignitaries, part of the Marshan Palace whose main building is across the street. As such, it is no longer a museum and not open to the public.[4]

60,000 pieces of the toy soldiers collection were auctioned in December 1997 by Christie's in New York and South Kensington. Auctions went from $150 to $12,000 a set. [3] Total sales from the auction amounted to $700,000. The Forbes Galleries in New York City today has parts of the Tangier toy soldiers collection on display.[5]