View of Tangier from a Terrace 

Jean-François Portaels captured this View of Tangier from a Terrace in paint, though the exact date remains elusive. Dominating the scene are the stark white buildings, punctuated by the slender minaret, a beacon of faith, and a fortified tower, symbols of both spiritual aspiration and worldly defense. The minaret, with its echoes of ancient obelisks, appears across cultures—from the Tower of Babel narratives to the towering structures of Renaissance cityscapes. Its verticality speaks to mankind's eternal striving to bridge the earthly and the divine. Consider how this same impulse manifests in the Gothic cathedrals reaching towards the heavens or the ziggurats of Mesopotamia. Each structure, in its own way, attempts to capture the uncapturable. The emotional resonance of such structures engages our collective memory, reminding us of humanity's recurring quest for meaning and connection. This deeply ingrained desire, etched into our subconscious, shapes how we perceive and interact with these symbols. The symbol's non-linear journey is perpetually resurfacing, evolving and echoing across time.