2024-07-22 05:24:06
During the closing session of this forum, chaired by the Advisor to HM the King and Founding President of the Essaouira-Mogador Association, Mr. André Azoulay, these experts stressed that “the project to extend the perimeter of the old Mogador classified as a UNESCO world heritage site is not only an absolute necessity but also a legitimate step to ensure the full protection and appropriate development of this historic site of exceptional universal value.”
Led by the head of the Culture Programme of the UNESCO office for the Maghreb, Karim Hendili, this workshop was an opportunity to define the terms of the roadmap for this process which will develop throughout the weeks and months to come, while allowing a fruitful debate around the motivations and factors which underpin the legitimacy of this large-scale project for the city of Essaouira.
In a statement to MAP on this occasion, Mr. Hendili said that the project to modify the boundaries of the medina of Essaouira, classified as a universal heritage of humanity, is in accordance with the provisions of the World Heritage Convention, noting that this process is of significant importance, equivalent to the submission of a nomination file.
Mr. Hendili also specified that this workshop will result in the development of an initial text justifying the exceptional value of the property, which will serve as a basis for subsequent work with a view to a second meeting.
For his part, the director of the National Institute of Archaeological Sciences and Heritage (INSAP), Abdeljalil Bouzouggar, indicated, in a similar statement, that this workshop was an opportunity to highlight the importance of the heritage of the medina and the surrounding areas, particularly the hinterland of the city which contains an archaeological heritage of great universal value.
Mr. Bouzouggar, in this wake, noted that several recent archaeological discoveries in this region illustrate this wealth, notably the discovery in the Bizmoune cave, in the province of Essaouira, of elements of adornment highlighting the oldest symbolic human behavior.
“This abundance of cultural and archaeological heritage justifies the urgency of this extension, a request expressed insistently by local civil society,” he said.
For his part, the general director of the Local Development Company “Essaouira, culture, arts and heritage” (SDL. ECAP), Abderrahim El Bertai, affirmed that “this initiative is crucial to preserve the authenticity and identity of the old Mogador, while responding to the contemporary challenges of conservation and management of sites classified as UNESCO world heritage sites”.
In this context, he noted that this project would allow better protection and enhancement of the cultural and architectural heritage of the medina of Essaouira, while promoting sustainable and balanced development of the city.
Other speakers from various backgrounds also looked at the implications and benefits of this important project, stressing that the current perimeter of the old Mogador, classified as a UNESCO world heritage site, does not fully embrace the history of Essaouira in its most universal dimension.
Organised jointly by the (SDL. ECAP), the Essaouira Mogador Association, the Ministry of Culture, the city of Essaouira and the UNESCO Office for the Maghreb, this forum provided an ideal opportunity to reflect on the issues and challenges related to this decisive project for the Cité des Alizés.
2024-07-22 05:24:06