Carlos Perez Marin

   The implications that history can have on a city goes far beyond a simple succession of dates and data, more or less relevant, and even its historical heritage. As Ilya Topper wrote, Ceuta is a testimony of what the Mediterranean once was, the cradle of various civilisations that used the sea as a space for exchange instead of a border and that has given rise to what we are today.

   The different civilisations that have passed through the city, as has happened with the Mediterranean, have left a substratum, sometimes reflected in our heritage through architecture and archaeology, other times it is much more subtle, in such a way that cultures, sciences and beliefs of different peoples combine in various ways to give rise to civilisations that have formed a large part of the world we know today (Europe, the northern half of Africa and Western Asia) and in which Ceuta has been a privileged testimony thanks to its border, geographical and political situation, being the northernmost, southernmost or westernmost position of each of the civilisations depending on the historical moment; situations that from a long-term perspective become a juxtaposition of cultures and civilisations as seen in this image with the evolution of the border line in the Strait and the Mediterranean.

   We are in a city of small size but broad in mind and spirit, whose relevance in history exceeds the understanding and assimilation capacity of our authorities, as can be seen in the next image with cities (and regions) with which Ceuta has had a direct or indirect relationship worth highlighting. Furthermore, and as our historical heritage shows, our ancestors are generally characterised by being avant-garde; their lives depended on it since if they did not innovate with the city's defensive systems they died with it.

   Perhaps the work for a (double) candidacy can help to better understand who we are, and in the process, honor our ancestors, placing Ceuta at the educational and cultural forefront, taking advantage of our heritage, the known and the one that still remains to be discovered, regardless of the possibilities we have for political or diplomatic reasons. In any case, the histories of Ceuta and the Strait are more important than the declarations made by UNESCO, but perhaps it is the necessary tool for our local and national leaders to see our city not as a problem but as a reason for pride and inspiration.   

Credits texts, photos and drawings: Carlos Pérez Marín