U N E S C O

CULTURAL HERITAGE DIVISION

I N T E R N A T I O N A L C A M P A I G N F O RS A F E G U A R D O F T H E M E D I N A O F F E Z

ForewordFederico Mayor

The specificity of the Medina of FezAbderrahim Filali Baba

Fez: the destiny and vocation of an imperial cityAbdelaziz Touri

The madrassas of Fez: a constantly evolving heritageMohamad Hassani Ameziane and Amal Lazrak

Restoration and rehabilitation of the Dar Adiyel Palace in FezGiancarlo Barbato

Development plan for the Fez MedinaPhilippe Revault

The Danan Synagogue of Fez will be savedSimon Lévy

The Danan Synagogue of Fez will be restoredBenjamin Danan

The most outstanding phases in the history of FezTewfik Ettayeb

Urban identities and imported modelsMounir Bouchenaki and Laurent L&i-Strauss

5

11

16

20

25

27

30

34

We regret not being able to include in this issue an article by Mr Abdellatif El-Hajjami, Director of ADER Fez,.who has not been able to provide a contribution on account of the pressure of his professional commitments.

Production and Co-ordination:Tewfik Ettayeb

Photos crédits : UNESCO - MedinaAll rights reserved UNESCO 1998

Foreword

Maurice Druon, the permanent secretary of the Academic Française and a great friend of Morocco, oncecompared the labyrinth of small streets and buildings in Fez, as seen from the northern Borj, to the convolutionsof the human brain. As a biologist I was particularly struck by this image, not only from the morphological pointof view, but also because of its functional implications.

All historic cities, and Fez in particular should be regarded as complex entities whose various functions- economic, social, cultural and symbolic -form a whole. The elimination or even sudden alteration of any one ofthesefunctions would set off a gradual process of degeneration that would destroy the delicate and constantlyrenewed balance on which their formation and development depend and would eventually spread throughout thewhole city

Because of the constant changes occurring throughout the world in human societies and affecting peo-ple’s needs and ways of life, and because of the action of time on the works of mankind, it is impossible to freezea city at a particular moment in its history. Cities evolve just as human beings do, but while changing, they mustalso, like people, remain themselves. Thus, any outside intervention that, even if guided by the best intentions,changed the materials used, the scale of the buildings, the style of construction, the layout or the principles ofmovement and circulation within the city without any respect for its ‘genetic inheritance’, would be fatal to it.The achievement of the planners of the modem city of Fez was to build a fine twentieth-century city. They wereintelligent enough to understand that there were irreconcilable differences between the Arab-Muslim world andWestern Europe in their approaches to urban planning and that although commerce and communication had totake place between the two cities that did not mean that they should be forced to merge.

Dialogue and exchange, but also the preservation of distinct cultural identities: are these not the prin-ciples that guide UNESCO’s action in safeguarding and enhancing cultures throughout the world?

By co-operating with the World Bank and the Moroccan authorities on the project to preserve and reha-bilitate the Medina of Fez and by contributing its scientific and cultural expertise and deciding with them, after afruitful period of consultation, to abandon a project to drive roads through the old city and take other beneficialmeasures instead, UNESCO has been faithful to one of its major tasks: to help (in this case, through the applica-tion of the principles of the ‘Declaration of Fez’) to design a future based on the fruitful contributions of the pastand on a common project in which the cultural identity of each citizen and of the city itself are brought into har-mony.

Federico MayorDIRECTOR-GENERAL OF UNESCO

-5-

The specificityof the Medina of Fez

Abderrahim Filali BabaPRESIDENT OF THE URBAN COMMUNITY OF FEZ

The rehabilitation of the old city, which dates back more than 1000 years, raises problems which arenot easy to solve. Fez, with almost 200.000 inhabitants, belongs to the urban rather than the monu-mental heritage to be safeguarded for its historical and cultural value.

The specificityof the medina

The rehabilitation of the old city,which dates back more than 1000years, raises problems which arenot easy to solve. Fez, with almost200.000 inhabitants, belongs to theurban rather than the monumentalheritage to be safeguarded for itshistorical and cultural value. It is alively city where decay and preser-vation are everyday phenomena.Degradation is a particular featureof Fez on account of the populationdensity. economic activity and thebehaviour of the various competingactors.

The multiplicityof actors

Various actors with conflictinginterests are at work in the city ofFez. A resident tenant is not ascommitted to the conservation of abuilding as the owner. A local tra-desman and a businessman do notrespond in the same way to theissue of the heritage. The religiousand governmental institutions(Habous and Cultural Affairs): incharge of much of the religious.urban and monumental heritage, donot share the same view, nor dothey have the same means to reha-bilitate the city which has witnes-sed the decay of some of its mostancient monuments but has alsoexperienced renovation due to indi-vidual initiative in the economicfield.

Population trends

One of the most significant aspectsof the development of Fez has beenthe virtual renewal of all of itspopulation. Following the departu-re of the inhabitants of urban origin,the change which has occurred inthe nature of urban power has leftthe city without a voice. without anelite which can defend its interestsor sustain its memory. The places ofworship which date back severalcenturies have been left derelict orvirtually in ruins, but no authorityhas come forward to safeguardthem, except for certain prestigiousmonuments. The population today.the majority of which is of rural ori-gin (the traditionally urban compo-nent has become marginal), is facedwith economic precariousness andworsening its living conditions anddoes not feel involved in the urbanrenovation of the old city. If it hadso wished. it could not have intro-duced the necessary improvementsfor its rehabilitation and for therenovation of some of its districtsor that of deteriorated buildings andbasic infrastructure.

The misunderstandingover rehabilitation

For more than 20 years, that is tosay, since the old city was declaredby UNESCO to be part of the heri-tage of humanity. public attentionhas focused essentially on its reha-bilitation, renovation and safe-guard. Little. however, has beenachieved in the field.There are several reasons for thislack of action: firstly. the giganticscale of the venture; secondly, theenormous needs in terms of fundingand the controversy over property

rights; and, lastly. the populationdensity. An institution has been setup to remedy this particular diffi-culty and to contribute to the de-densification of the medina. Itsefforts have been confined to minoroperations which do not reflect itsoriginal purpose which has beendeviated from the initial objectives.

The establishment of a master planand proposals for several studymissions in the wake of renewedvisits by experts representing majorinternational, cultural and financialinstitutions, have not succeeded inmobilizing the means required forany significant transformation ofthe medina. The representatives ofthe local and central authoritieshave not succeeded in setting upauthentic safeguarding procedures.With the establishment of the medi-na as a single local authority. reco-gnition of the specificity of itsproblems is abundantly clear. Thisis an encouraging step towards anefficient safeguarding strategy.However, over and beyond the ins-titutional. financial and technicalmeans to be brought into play, it istowards the mobilization of theprincipal actors of the city to whichefforts must now be directed. Forthat purpose, it is necessary to iden-tify the actors, help them to set uptheir own associations and engagein co-operation whereby. subse-quently, the population could takeover its own environment not onlyas users but as custodians of a heri-tage to be developed and passed onto future generations.

Therefore, it is genuine ‘governan-ce’ that should be established toensure the adequate safeguarding ofthis more than 1OOO-year-old city.

- 7-

Fez: the destiny and vocationof an imperial city

Abdelaziz Tour-iDIRECTOR OF THE CULTURAL HERITAGE, MOROCCO

The imperial city of Fez stands at the north-eastern limits of the plain of Says. It occupies a stra-tegic position on the caravan route connecting the Atlantic plains to the eastern provinces andthe Mediterranean ports to the Saharan cities. At one and the same time a holy city and a poli-tical capital, it was and still is a melting pot of civilizations and an outstanding cultural centre.

-8-

Fez,the imperial capital

Founded at the end of the eighteen-th century by the Idrissid dynasty,the first kingdom of IslamicMorocco, Fez continued to developand to surpass its earlier achieve-ments. In 808, it expanded with thecreation of a new city built on theleft bank of the Wadi, Fez al’Aliya,the upper city. Its economic andpolitical influence spread through-out the Muslim West and attractedethnic groups from cities as famousas Cordoba and Qairouan.During the Almoravid period (ele-venth and twelfth centuries) andafter several difficult years, Feztook on a new lease of life with theunification of its twin cities withinone fortified wall under the watch-ful eye of the Almoravid monarch,Yusuf Ibn Tachfine (1107- 1134).The Almohad an-Nasir (1199-1213) grew attached to the city ofIdris, raised and fortified the wallsand ordered the construction of theBou Jloud citadel. “This city, thegreat capital of the empire”, wrotethe geographer al-Idrissi (died1160), ‘is crowded with travellersfrom many countries: it is the desti-nation of many caravans. Its inhabi-tants are wealthy and enjoy everymanifestation of luxury and thecommodities of life’.In the mid-thirteenth century, Fezbecame the political capital ofMorocco once again. The Merinids,the new rulers of the country, tookadvantage of its celebrated sanctityand considerable influence andchose it instead of Marrakech, thecapital of their predecessors. Theytherefore settled there and becameactively involved in its develop-ment. Abu Yusuf Yaqub (12581286) built a new city, Fez al-Jedid

or al-Madina al-Bayda (the whitecity). ‘Built according to a plandevised by the sultan himself’, thecity was encircled, in 1276, by awall two metres thick and eightmetres high, fortified with squaretowers. It thereby protected thepalace and dwellings of the leadingmembers of the Merinid family,housed the administration and pro-vided barracks for the army as wellas the sumptuous gardens of al-Mosara, irrigated by one of theeffluents of Fez Wadi, which com-peted with the gardens ofMarrakech and even Cordoba. ‘Theking’, according to J. Léon theAfrican, ‘divided the city into threeseparate parts. The first was reser-ved for the palaces for the king, hissons and brothers. He had vaststables built in the second part ofthe city for the horses he rode per-sonally and several palaces werebuilt for the most distinguishedmembers of the court. The thirdpart of the city was to provideaccommodation for the king’s per-sonal guard. Fez thereby became adual city, with the merchant and tra-ding quarter on the one hand, Fezal-Bali (ancient Fez) and, on theother hand, an administrative andmilitary city.In 1549, the Saadian Sherifs, fromsouthern Morocco, entered the city.In spite of its difficulties and theloss of its status as capital of theempire, Fez survived in the shadowof Marrakech and succeeded inremaining the second city of thecountry. Thanks to its location andpopulation, it was able to keep alivethe Hispano-Moresque traditionsand ardently defended the heritagebequeathed by Cordoba andQairouan. In 1666, the AlawiteMulay ar-Rachid made it the capitalof his kingdom. Building work andvarious improvements enabled the

city to revive and develop onceagain. Its mosques, houses andmadrassas were restored. Otherswere enlarged or merely renovated.In this way, from the second half ofthe nineteenth century onwards,Fez established trading relationswith several European countries.‘The destiny of Fez, like that ofMorocco, was entering a newphase, that of the world economyand the universal heritage.’

Fez, the religious cityand

capital of knowledge

Although the political capital and amajor commercial centre along thecaravan routes, Fez was also a reli-gious city and the capital of know-ledge. Like Cairo and Tunis, itacquired, during the rule of itsfounders, institutions which stillcompete with those of the IslamicEast, spreading the tradition ofHispano-Moresque skills and per-petuating the heritage of Cordoba,Grenada and Qairouan.

The future of the city of Fez wasdetermined from the outset. Thetwo earliest districts were eachendowed with a ‘cathedral mosque’,whose importance grew constantly:the Andalus mosque (869-870) andthe Qaraouiyyine mosque (857-858). The latter, which was exten-ded and embellished at the requestof the Almoravid Ali Ibn Yusuf( 1107- 1134), was soon surroundedby several oratories which provided‘the faithful with as sound a know-ledge as possible of the truths to bebelieved and of the mode of conductto be observed in accordance withthose truths’.

-9-

This development continued untilthe thirteenth and fourteenth centu-ries. It was as if Fez was preparingto receive the heritage of the citiesof Qairouan, devastated by theArab tribes of the Banu Hilal, andof Cordoba, reconquered by theSpanish armies, and assume theirheritage by providing continuityand development. Fez acquiredmadrasas, mosques, fondouqs andhospices ‘the beauty of which wasequal to that of the colleges’.

The Merinid kings, Abu YussufYaqub, Abu Said and Abu al-Hassan, had the madrassa of al-Misbahiya (743/l342- 1343) builtaround the mosque of al-Qarouiyyine.Three others were built on the otherbank, near to the al-Andalus mosque:the madrassas of al-Sahrij and al-Sablyin (721-723/1321-1323), aswell as that of al-Wadi which wasreplaced under the Alaouites by amosque bearing the same name.Abu Inan built a madrassa-mosquebearing his name, Bou Inniya. Twocenturies later, the madrassa of al-Sharratin was built by Moulay ar-Rachid.

On the other hand, a series ofmosques which, without reachingthe dimensions of those of previouscenturies, invariably strike the visi-tor by their well ordered layout, theharmony of their proportions andthe abundance of their decoration,the mosques of Fez al-Jadid (Jumbal-Kabir), al-Harrura. Jama al-Zharand Jama al-Chrabliyin, all expres-sed to advantage the art and exper-tise of the craftsmen of this ancientcity. They are more than just placesof worship and education. Like themadrassas and the numerous hos-telries thought to have exceeded200 in the sixteenth century, theyare the material expression of the

grandeur of the history of pietyamong the kings and of creativityamong the artists and craftsmen.

Fez, part of the worldheritage

In 1976, UNESCO, at its GeneralConference in Nairobi, announcedthe active safeguarding of theMedina of Fez. As an age-old heri-tage, with its wealth of diversity,conveying authentic craftsmanshipwhich testifies to the past of thewestern Mediterranean, it repre-sents a living memory of humanity.At every corner of its streets, inevery building, however modest,lies the mark of the past, the exulta-tion of creation and expression ofthe imagination and lifestyle of theancestors. The morphology of itsurban fabric, the network of its tho-roughfares and the vitality of its tra-ding and craft districts stillconstitute, in spite of all the vicissi-tudes, the dynamism and survivalof that heritage.The medina of Fez, however, withits 12 kilometres of ramparts and its18 districts stretching along the twobanks of the al-Jaouabir, al-Adouaand al-Andalus Wadis, is experien-cing excessive population densitywhich is now more than 1,000 inha-bitants per hectare. While the mainadministrative buildings are locatedin the modern city, economic activi-ty has developed particularly in thehistorical centre. ‘These aspectshave combined to deteriorate thehistorical districts and to destroythe traditional ways in which theurban area was occupied. Vastdwellings have been divided up.. .’The phenomenon of ‘oukalisation’or ‘fondouquisation’ are gaining

ground. As a consequence, thearchitectural heritage has becomedegraded and is gradually losing itsvalue and aesthetic qualities.

That is why it is absolutely necessa-ry to study the initiatives taken sofar within the context of the safe-guarding of the Medina in order tohighlight the various options whichmight ensure more judicious mana-gement of this historical complex.A clearly and rigorously definedintervention strategy needs to beimplemented to ensure the continui-ty of the Medina of Fez in terms ofits vitality and heritage value and topreserve the harmony which hasalways been its distinguishing fea-ture. This is a wide-reaching ventu-re through the commitment andinvolvement of all the actorsconcerned, first and foremost theinhabitants of the medina, who, inour view, hold the keys to success.This is the price to be paid to ensu-re that the historical city of Fez ispreserved in all its specificity,which it is our duty to pass on tofuture generations.

The madrassas of Fez,a constantly evolving heritage

Mohamad Hassani AmezianeARCHITECT AND INSPECTOR OF HISTORICAL MONUMENTS, FEZ

Amal LazrakLEGAL EXPERT, INSPECTORATE OF HISTORICAL MONUMENTS, FEZ

As jewels of the architectural and cultural heritage of the city, the madrassas, particularly those dating back tothe Merinid period which nurtured them, remain, more so than the palaces, ramparts, houses and fonduqs, theinescapable testimony of Arabo-Andalusian art which developed in the city of Idriss, from the outset, with thesuccessive influxes of refugees from Andalusia and Qairouan in the early ninth century, and subsequently theAndalusian emigrants driven from Spain by the ‘Reconquista’.

- 11-

As royal foundations, the madras-sas represent a unique heritage interms of their architectural designand decoration. They have resistedthe ravages of time and the variousrestorations which have not alwaysbeen fully appropriate, and conti-nue today to be a key element in thephysical, spiritual and monumentaltopography of the city.

Most of the madrassas are nowabandoned and await problematicrehabilitation given their artisticand historical importance. Born inthe Orient in the eleventh centuryunder the Seldjukids with theNizamiya madrassa in Baghdad(founded in 1067 by the vizirNizam-El-Moulk), which is consi-dered to be the first foundation ofthis kind in the Sunni Muslimworld, this institution was to deve-lop very rapidly in the Middle East(Egypt and Syria) and reached theMuslim West two centuries later(the Shemaiya madrassa in Tunis in1249).

In Morocco. this type of institutionemerged at the end of the thirteenthcentury under the Merinid dynastywith the foundation of the Seffarinemadrassa in Fez towards 1271 (1).Within less than a century, the num-ber of madrassas in Morocco increa-sed considerably, mostly in Fez, thecradle of the Merinid dynasty. whichhad nine madrassas (2):

- Seffarine (or Yacoubiya orHalfawiyin) towards 1271;- Fez El Jedid in 1320;- As Sahrij and Asbaiyin (or Kubraand Soghra) 132 1- 1323;- El Attarin in 1323;- El Misbayiya (or El Rokham) in1346;- El Bou Inania (Mutawakiliya) in1350.

After a period of respite, thesefoundations were revived in Fezwhich was, once again, the capital,but in an episodic manner under theAlawite dynasty with the construc-tion of the following madrassas:

- Sherratin in 1670 by the firstAlawite Sultan Moulay Rachid onthe site of the Lebbadin madrassawhich had been profaned by stu-dents;- Bab Guissa by Sidi Mohamed BenAbdallah, second half of the eigh-teenth century;- Mohammedia in 1940 by theSultan Mohamed V.

The teaching provided in the Al-Qaraouiyyine and Al-Andalusmosques, as early as the Almohadera (twelfth century), and whichconsisted in studying the Koranicsciences and the Hadith, togetherwith certain ancillary disciplines(literature, grammar. philosophy,algebra and astronomy) was organi-zed on parallel lines in the variousmadrassas.

From their foundation onwards,these institutions combined the pro-vision of teaching and accommoda-tion for foreign students (tolbas) inthe city. They also provided anopportunity for guiding and direc-ting teaching and training for futuregovernment officials.

The foundation of the madrassaswas commissioned by the sultans orprinces after an act issued by theWaqf which established for each ofthem a list of property in mort mainwhose revenue was aimed at mee-ting the maintenance and operatingcosts.

Apart from Bou Inania (3) all themadrassas in Fez gravitate around

prayer mosques (Jamaa), where theFriday prayers are held. This is thecase of the Al-Qaraouiyyinemosque with its satellite madrassas(Seffarin, Attarin, Mesbahiya,Sherratin and Mohammedia), theAl-Andalus mosque (with theSahrij and Sbaiyin madrassas), theBab Guissa mosque (with amadrassa of the same name), andthe Jamaa El Kébir mosque (FezJadid madrassa).

Integrated into the urban fabric(particularly in the Al-Qaraouiyyine and Al-Andalus dis-tricts) and on more or less hillyterrain, the madrassas were cleverlyadapted to the lie of the land with,in some cases, later extensionswhich were linked to the localmosque (as in the case of theAttarin madrassa).

All these institutions bore similari-ties in terms of their various com-ponent parts and their spatiallayout.

Inspired by domestic architecture,the designers of the madrassasendeavoured to protect the intimacyof these buildings by windingentrances or entrances protected bywooden panels with an openworkdesign.

The layout of the building aroundan open patio with a fountain in thecentre reveals a similar influence.The external facades are bare andonly the monumental gate abovewhich a wooden awning juts outindicates from afar that the buildingis a madrassa.

The patio is always the focal pointof the madrassas, along which theremay be arcades with a prayer roomand classroom giving on to the

12

main axis.The stairway and the indoor latrinesfor ablutions stand on either side ofthe entrance hall. The stairs giveaccess to the various floors reser-ved exclusively for the students’rooms which open on to corridors.

There are, however, a number offeatures specific to various madras-sas:- the presence of outdoor latrines(Bou Inania);- the presence of a minaret (BouInania, Seffarin, Fès-Jdid);- the presence of sleeping quarterson the ground floor, which areeither protected from the courtyardby mousharabieh panels (BouInania, Sahrij). or give on to smallcourtyards (Sherratin);- the presence of two classrooms inaddition to the room for prayers andstudy (Bou Inania).

Although modest in size (between200 and 600 square metres) bycomparison with their MiddleEastern counterparts, the madrassas

nevertheless display a particularconcern for architectural grandeurwhich is expressed by the carefullybalanced nature of their layout,their clearly defined axes and thewealth of the various architectonicelements (pillars, corbels. columns,consoles and lintels).

There can be no doubt that themonumental nature of these buil-dings resides in the profusion andvariety of ornamentation whichcovers the facades overlooking thecourtyard, revealing a particularconcern for perfection and absolutemastery of geometry.

The various craftsmen such as cera-mists, wood sculptors and turners,plasterers and masons each excel-led in their domain and yet workedin perfect symbiosis when decora-ting madrassas in a period whenMoroccan art had reached the peakof its perfection.

They made of these royal founda-tions artistic masterpieces in which

refinement was carried to the extre-me. The eye cannot fail to admirethe succession of different elementsof decoration which leave no surfa-ce uncovered.As a structural element, cedar woodis to be found everywhere in theornamentation of the facades in dif-ferent forms (floral, geometricaland epigraphical) and techniques:sculpted (on the corbels, lintels,doors and the tympans above thewindows), assembled (windowshutters and secondary doors), tur-ned (balustrades of the windowsand panels), assembled and sculpted(the stalactite vault or ‘Muqqarnas’)and sculpted and painted (ceilings).

The warm tonality of the woodworkstands out sharply against the whi-teness of the sculpted plaster. Thesculpted plasterwork takes the formof panels with various compositions(diamond-shaped, floral patterns orshell-shaped) on the upper parts ofthe facades of the courtyard andarcades. capitals and upper parts ofthe pillars.

- 13.

Sculpted plasterwork is also to befound in friezes of kuffic or cursiveepigraphy and in the form of stalac-tites on the intrados of the arch-ways. Adjacent to the sculptedplasterwork. panels of enamelledceramics (zellij) cover the pillarsand the panelling of the walls withvarious patterns and shapes: forexample, simple geometricalshapes, sometimes covering thefloor of the patio (Bou Inania andSbaiyin), covering columns withsculpted capitals (Attarin andSbaiyin) and the fountains andbasins.

Lastly, chiselled bronze was used tocover the main doors (Attarin andBou Inania) and the furniture (thechandelier in the prayer room.Attarin).

The structure of the madrassas iscomposed of load-bearing walls(whose width can be as much as 50centimetres) and pillars of variousforms and dimensions.

The foundations of the walls canreach as much as six metres indepth on account of the poor natureof the ground (travertine limesto-ne), quite often with greater thick-ness at the base.

The pillars rest on either separate orsuccessive sills. The walls andpillars are made of solid bricks,held together with lime and sandmortar in clearly defined propor-tions, and in some instances, blocksof millstone may have been added(a more common practice for dwel-lings for reasons of economy).

The various floors rest on a systemof cedar wood joists and lathes andare composed of a layer of mortarcovered by a layer of compactedrubble, slightly inclined in order tomake way for the chosen covering.

The prayer room and the halls,when they exist, are covered by acedar wood structure protected by atype of mortar covered with greenenamelled tiles. The design of the

upper section of the patio (halqa)provides the building with additio-nal bracing.

All the madrassas have runningwater from two supply systems:either from the wadi for the latrinesand maintenance of the building, orfrom a spring for drinking and ablu-tions.

The madrassas fulfilled their voca-tion perfectly until the end of thenineteenth century for a societywhich was developing but alwayswithin the bounds of tradition.

Maintenance and restoration workwas always conducted according totraditional standards (i.e. materialsand techniques) as the distinctivefeature of Moroccan art was toevolve by integrating harmoniouslypast artistic influences.

Nevertheless. at the beginning ofthe twentieth century, the madras-sas were in a very dilapidated stateon account of overcrowding.

-14 -

A report submitted by the Sherifiancommissioner to the court of thePasha of Fez in 1941 referred toovercrowding in the nine madrassaswhich were still operating(4): 948students for 508 rooms. With theadvent of the protectorate, theauthorities. aware of the uniquecultural and historical value ofthese buildings and of the historicalfabric in general where they werelocated, enacted avant-garde legis-lation as early as 1912 in order toensure their protection.

Consequently, the madrassas of Fezwere classified as historical monu-ments by Sherifian Dahirs inFebruary I915 (Sherratin. Sahrij,Attarine, Bou Inania. Seffarin,Mesbahiya). From then on, a resto-ration campaign was launched andmanaged by the Department of FineArts and Historical Monuments (5).Repairs were made to both thestructure of the buildings and theirdecorations.As an illustration of the scale of theaction undertaken. we shall confineourselves to listing major repairsmade to the Attarin madrassa:- renovation of the wooden entabla-ture on the east façade:- repairs to the zellij panels andplaster friezes on the façades andarcades:- restoration of the awnings in thecourtyard through the insertion ofclamping in reinforced concrete;- renovation of the floor of thecourtyard and arcades and replace-ment of the central basin:- renovation of the walls:- restoration of the main door;- covering sections of the roof ofthe prayer room with reinforcedconcrete:- execution of clamping, beams,tiles and stays in reinforced concre-te in the south wing.

In addition to this consolidation andrestoration work. a significanteffort was made in improvingliving conditions in these institu-tions by the introduction of electri-city. the ventilation and lighting ofthe cells by the creation of windowsand skylights. These initiativesenabled the madrassas to be safe-guarded even if some of the workwas criticized.

Generally speaking. we can say thatthe restoration of ornamentationconducted by talented craftsmenwith still widely available traditio-nal materials was a success.Nevertheless, the consolidationwork using reinforced concrete ismore questionable. While it didconsolidate structures that werealmost in ruins, it also broughtabout frequently serious structuraldisorders (Attarin).

In spite of all these restorationefforts to enable the madrassas tosurvive, it was soon clear that theyno longer corresponded to stan-dards of public health and hygieneand new lifestyles. Consequently,Qaraouiyyine University was trans-ferred outside the walls of theMedina in 1960 and the madrassaswere closed.

Most of them were placed at thedisposal of the Ministry of CulturalAffairs? which continued to carryout maintenance work, but sincethen a major restoration campaignhas been awaited.

Growing national and internationalawareness of the singular value ofthe heritage of the Fez Medina ledto an appeal launched by UNESCOin 1980 for the safeguarding of theMedina and its classification as partof the world heritage.

In this way, a national campaign ofpatronage initiated by His MajestyHassan II will make possible thesafeguarding of most of these archi-tectural jewels.

While the restoration and rehabili-tation of these monuments mustunquestionably go hand in hand,this combination may not be neces-sarily appropriate for all themadrassas.

While, for example, the Sherratinmadrassa. which is more spaciousbut less ornate, could be returned toits initial purpose, madrassas suchas Attarine and Sahrij, smaller insize, are masterpieces of beauty andsymbols of the pinnacle of Merinidart, and therefore deserve a subtler,more complex approach.

Notes

1.. Some Moroccan historians andchroniclers refer to madrassas inMorocco before the thirteenth cen-tury: the Sabbirin madrassa in Fezduring the Almoravid period (ele-venth century) according to A.Tazi; the madrassa and library inthe Marrakech Palace under theAlmohads (twelfth century) accor-ding to Fadl-Allah El Umari.2, There were also two other madras-sas which no longer exist: the Labbadinmadrassa and the El Oued madras-sa ( 1321- 1323) which was conver-ted into a mosque.3. It was used both as a madrassaand as a mosque for Friday prayers.4. Mohammedia, Seffarine. Bal ElGuissa, Attarine, Sbaiyin, Sahrij,Sherratin, Mesbahiya, Bou Inania.5, Created in 1912.

Pilot project for the restoration and rehabilitationof the Dar Adiyel Palace in Fez:

a remarkable example of international co-operation

Giancarlo BarbatoCONSULTING ARCHITECT-RESTORER,

ASSIGNED BY UNESCO To SUPERVISE THE PROJECT

Within the framework of UNESCO’s International Campaign to safeguard the medina of Fez, the Dar AdiyelPalace, which lies at the heart of the Zqaq el-Bghal district, was restored thanks to a preliminary pilot projectimplemented with funds made available by another government, that of Italy. This former stately residence desi-gned according to the principles of Merinid and Saadian architecture, was built in the eighteenth century. Onceit has been equipped by the Morrocan Government with the appropriate furniture and teaching materials, thePalace will return to its previous vocation of housing the College of Andalusian and Mahlun music.

-16.

Since its foundation in theyear 190 of the Hegira (805 AD), atthe express wish of Imam Idriss, thecity of Fez has been one of the mostprestigious centres for the religious,intellectual and cultural traditions ofMorocco.

As a landmark in Islamic civilizationwith its university. which is one ofthe oldest in the world, the cityexpanded over the centuries and wasembellished by the various dynastieswhich ruled the Maghreb, therebyextending its influence over the wes-tern Islamic world through the weal-th of its heritage and the skills of itscraftsmen.

In response to the concern expressedby national and international autho-rities at the dangers to which the cityis exposed through urban expansionand industrialization. UNESCOlaunched an appeal to the internatio-nal community in 1980 for it tocontribute to implementation of theInternational Campaign for theSafeguarding of the Old City of Fez.already inscribed on the WorldHeritage List.In the framework of this campaign,the Italian Government proceeded,in 1993, to make available the neces-sary funds for the restoration of theDar Adiyel Palace, a former statelyresidence which now belongs to theMoroccan Government. From the1960s onwards, the Palace had beenused as premises for the College ofAndalusian and Mahlun music andmany musicians of great renownwere trained there. It continued to beused for that purpose until the 1980s.After it was closed, the condition ofthe building rapidly deteriorated intoa critical state, virtually in ruins.

The Palace was built in the Zqaq elBghal district of Fez al Bali, between

two small streets, Oued Rechachaand Sidi Nali. It is one of the finestexamples of the principles ofMerinid and Saadian architecturebuilt in Fez during the eighteenthcentury.The facades overlooking the streetare coated with lime mortar andhave latticed openings on the groundfloor, while the windows on the twoupper floors are protected with car-ved wooden awnings.

Access to the Palace is via OuedRechacha, under the upper floor ofthe adjacent house which leansagainst the facade of the Palace, the-

reby creating a covered passageway.Behind the heavy wooden gateway,decorated with studs and wrought-iron hinges, a winding passage pro-tected by two other gates leads to thecentral rectangular courtyard. Tallpillars, with richly decorated capi-tals in sculpted plaster, support twolevels of peripheral galleries,making up a space of imposing andharmonious proportions. Rows ofsuperimposed coffered beams makeup the entablatures of the galleriesand jut out in successive corbellings,thereby creating wide windowspositioned according to the axes ofthe layout of the courtyard. The

- 17-

basin of a fountain stands in thecentre of the courtyard at the pointof intersection of those axes. Twoother mural fountains are positioned

between the two south pillars in theeast and west arcades.

Under the arcades, along the fourwalls of the ground floor and firstfloor, there are wide gothic arches inan axial position in relation to thecentral windows. These openingshave heavy wooden doors with tracesof polychromatic decoration, leadingto the eight main living rooms.Access to the kitchen and latrines isvia a corridor which leads to the nor-thern gallery on the ground floor. Thearea originally used as a stable is inthe south-west comer of the Palaceand has a separate entrance. A stair-way leads from the entrance hall tothe mezzanine and the forestry pre-mises on the first floor. Another stair-way, in the south-eastern comer ofthe Palace, was used as the mainaccess to that floor and the terraces,from where it is possible to admirethe profusion of roofs and minaretsof the Medina and the view of thehills nearby.

Although the structure of the Palacewas in a serious state of decay whenthe project began, the sumptuousornamentation in sculpted plaster(the capitals at the top of the pillars,the panels surrounding the gothicarches over the doorways to thevarious rooms, and the friezes alongthe upper part of the walls under thegalleries) were the only componentswhich had withstood the ravages oftime until today.

Furthermore, what remained of theornamentation in cedar wood, suchas the big doors with traces of poly-chromatic painting and the balus-trades in turned wood (moucharabieh)making up the parapets of the galle-ries on the upper floor, and theremains of the polychromatic cera-mic tessera (zellij) covering thefloors and jambs, testified to the for-mer splendour of the decoration ofthe Palace.

- 1 8 -

After a period of preparatory work,restoration began in May 1995. Theproject was implemented under theaegis of the Directorate of Heritageof the Ministry of Culture, the ownerof the property. Management of theproject was assigned to the Inspectorof Historical Monuments of Fez. Aconsultative committee, chaired bythe Director of Heritage, supervisedthe progress of the work.UNESCO assigned one of itsexperts to supervise the project acti-vities as a whole.

Restoration work consisted, on theone hand, in making the terraceswaterproof and consolidating thefoundations and walls made of brickand lime mortar. as well as restoringor rebuilding the cedar wood floors.Traditional and advanced techniqueswere used jointly in order to impro-ve stability in the event of an earth-quake.

On the other hand, all the decorativeelements such as coating, sculptedplaster, tessera and woodwork werepreserved and restored.

In keeping with the historical deve-lopment of the ornamental features,any missing parts were replaced onthe basis of available models anddocumentation. In order to preservethe authenticity of the Palace. aslight difference in shade distin-guishes these parts from the originalones.

Once it has been restored and equip-ped by the Moroccan Governmentwith the necessary teaching mate-rial, the Palace will return to itsvocation of housing the College ofAndalusian and Mahlun Music, inaccordance with the wishes of therelevant Moroccan authorities andalong the lines of the programme

drawn up in co-opera-tion with the Directorof the College. It willalso provide a splendidvenue for culturalevents involving tradi-tional music.

Restoration work hasalmost been completedand the date of the offi-cial inauguration of theCollege of Music isplanned for the springof 1998.The project for the res-toration and rehabilita-tion of Dar AdiyelPalace has directlygenerated economicactivities and enrichedthe experience ofnational craftsmen. Itwill also revitalize thedistrict and make theinhabitants of Fezmore aware of the cul-tural. social and econo-mic value of theirarchitectural heritage.

Promotional action atnational and internatio-nal level will contribu-te to making this pilot project morewidely known. It is the first to havebeen implemented in the frameworkof the International Campaign.thanks to funds made available byanother government, that of Italy,and therefore enhancing the culturalheritage of Morocco.

- 19.

Development plan for the Fez MedinaTechnical assistance mission

Division of the Cultural Heritage - UNESCO

Philippe RevaultARCHITECT - TOWN-PLANNER - PROFESSOR

The development plan is currently at the approval stage. The public inquiry has just been completed.The prefectoral technical committee now has to respond to the public inquiry and each of its membersput forward their observations. The development plan deals with each of the five boroughs of FezUrban Community. The mission involved a visit to Fez from 5 to 12 September 1997. Its purpose is toprovide assistance to UNESCO, the President of the Fez Urban Community and the President of theMunicipal Council of the Fez Medina in the preparation of their observations on the project for deve-loping the Medina.

- 20 -

A number of projects have alreadybeen carried out or are in progressin connection with the Fez Medina.The following considerationsshould be taken into account as aprospective evaluation aimed at theconstant improvement of condi-tions likely to ensure the successfulvalorization of the Fez Medina,rather than a supervisory evaluationwhich might slow down the processof intervention which has been sodifficult to develop.

What kind of town plan-ning is needed

for the Fez UrbanCommunity?

What kind of town planning under-lies this development plan? Rulesor dynamics? A plan or a process?For ten years or more, urban poli-cies as a whole have undergone aprofound change which has contri-buted to lessening the role of regu-lations or a limiting model, in orderto give priority to the definition ofthe aims of development and themeans (which include regulations)to achieve it.

For example, while town-planningdocuments such as land-use plansalways comprise two written docu-ments (a presentation report and theregulations) and a graphic docu-ment (a map on the 1:2000 scale),many cities give priority to the pre-sentation report.

In the event of litigation in thecourts (an increasingly commonphenomenon in Europe), the latterrefer increasingly to the presenta-tion report.It is clear that the development plandrawn up for each of the five com-

munes of the Fez Urban Communitygives priority to the regulations.This approach to town planningcannot fail to stifle any innovationwhich alone is capable of coming togrips with the complexity ofsent-day urban situations.

Development planfor the Fez Medina:

observations

pre-

Two kinds of observations can bemade. They are either general innature and refer to the developmentplan as a whole, or deal with a par-ticular theme, particularly with thatof access to the Medina.

General observations

There is a lack of consistency bet-ween the documents submitted tothe public inquiry, which containsome conflicting elements. Forexample, the ‘justificatory report’produced by the Cabinet Pinseau inFebruary 1996 was not modified toinclude changes of policy whichhad occurred since then regardingcertain aspects such as ‘means ofaccess’.

The same can be said of the actualpath and surface area of the ‘meansof access’, for which indicationspresented on the 1:2000 scale map,produced by AUSF in April 1997,are different from those on thedetailed 1500 scale maps producedby ADER in June 1997.These inconsistencies are probablythe result of the way these docu-ments were drawn up (the docu-ments that I was able to consult atAUSF are referred to below).

They highlight the problem of co-ordinating and steering these stu-dies and initiatives taken in regardto the Fez Medina.

The 50 or more observations madein August 1997 by ADER on threeboards (Nos. 5, 12 and 13) on thedevelopment plan (scale 1:2000)contributed to re-establishing consis-tency between the various docu-ments.

Furthermore, it proved necessary todevelop the underlying approach ofthe project in the development planfor the Medina in as far as the planclearly gave priority to the safe-guarding process. This was expres-sed in practical terms by dividingUP its territory into seven areasaccording to a concentric layout.The three central areas, rankedaccording to the wealth of theirheritage, respectively emphasizedconservation, restoration. rehabili-tation and urban renovation.

Evidence of the desire to combinerestoration with revalorization ofthe Medina is shown in the overallscale of the development plan bythe choices made regarding acces-sibility for vehicles and the impro-vement of the standard of facilitiesand services. This option needs tobe developed and explained moreclearly. If the consequences of theseoptions were depicted on a moredetailed scale than that of homoge-neous areas, in terms. for example,of coherent urban sectors, it wouldbe possible to highlight the under-lying approach of the project moreclearly. This would make the deve-lopment plan easier to understandand thereby make it more readilyacceptable by the various partiesconcerned.

-21-

I n t e r n a t i o n a l c a m p a i g n

ADER Fez showed us 1500 scalemaps of districts such as those ofQaraouiyyine or Gerniz which haveintegrated this approach by concen-trating within a particular parcel ofland the four levels of interventionon housing: restoration, rehabilita-tion, consolidation and renovation,as well as proposals regarding faci-lities, activities and urban servicesto be provided.

Specific observations

Priority should be given to accessrather than through traffic.

The 1:2000 scale development planshows six accesses including fourfor the northern part of the medina(Ain Azliten Talaa Kbira, AinAzliten derb Ameur, Oued Zhoun,Bin Lamdun) and two for the sou-thern part (Place Batha, bab Jadid).The northern accesses seem to bethose which raise fewer problems.Operational studies will enablesolutions to be found in the shortterm.

The first access, that of Ain AzlitenTalaa Kbira, has already been com-pleted. Priority could be given toaccess through Oued Zhoun andBin Lamdun on account of the acti-vities they serve and the density ofthe population concerned whichlives nearby, both in the Medinaand around it.

To the south, two accesses could beimproved. However, the Douh rin-groad corresponds to a differenturban situation than that of the nor-thern accesses. That projectrequires more detailed studies onthe effects of introducing vehicletraffic in a predominantly residen-tial area where there are often large

gardens. Such investigations couldlead the steering group to choose,for this part of the Medina:- either to maintain its predomi-nantly residential nature withimproved access to Place Batha andBab Jadid,- or, on the contrary, to focus onmajor infrastructure, services andoffices with the creation of athroughroad linking Place Batha toBab Jadid.Access: moving from road priori-ties to urban priorities.

This could be possible by puttingthe site to advantage.

The Ain Azliten Talaa Kbiraaccess, completed two years ago,reflects a strictly road approach inwhich a thoroughfare for vehicles isrequired without any accompa-nying measures. Any residual road-way surface is used, at best, forparking. These empty spaces tendmore to depreciate the overall land-scape of the Medina than to enhan-ce it. Any reference to the FezMedina evokes, first and foremost,its specific site. This should be apriority for any new access roads,particularly those lying to the north(these two roads, which are separa-te in the AUSF plan, meet to formthe ‘Douh ringroad’ in the detailed1:500 scale map produced byADER Fez).

The new access roads should takeadvantage of the contrast betweenthe narrowly focused view whichany pedestrian has in the Medinaand the more distant, possiblypanoramic, view provided by thenew access roads. To avoid the cur-rent ‘waste ground’ effect, the land-scape potential of every access siteshould be put to advantage. Forexample, one of the highlights of

the Ain Azliten Talaa Kbira accessroad could be a view over theMerinid tombs, while the AinAzliten derb Ameur access road,particularly the upper section, couldprovide a panoramic view of theMedina.

Furthermore, steps could be takento improve pedestrian access andmovement.

For the new Ain Azliten TalaaKbira access road, nothing has beenprovided for pedestrians, althoughthey use it as well as vehicles.While it may be normal, for anynew access road, that there shouldbe one lane in each direction forvehicles, it is necessary neverthe-less to provide a variety of paths forpedestrians.- In general terms, the possibility ofincreasing the number of walkwaysbetween the medina and the ring-road should be taken into account,but with due respect for the specificcharacter of the ramparts.- The walkways should facilitateaccess to car-parks which could belocated between the ringroad andthe ramparts.- Similarly, walkways between theMedina and the new bus stationshould be improved.- To the north-west of the new AinAzliten Talaa Kbira access road,between the ramparts and the rin-groad, there is a thalweg site occu-pied by market gardens covering asuccession of terraces sloping fromwest to east. It is a remarkable land-scape which contributes to enhan-cing the ramparts.

At present, major excavation workis taking place in the thalweg. Thesite could be completely disfiguredunless at least three measures aretaken:

- 22 -

s a f e g u a r d o f t h e m e d i n a o f F e z

1. the level of the landfill must bebelow that of the ringroad in orderto preserve the profile of the ram-parts;2. the effect of a succession of ter-races must be recreated, rather thana continuous slope from west toeast;3. the landscape should include theplanting of many trees to createplenty of greenery in the fore-ground, at the foot of the ramparts.

Lastly, the various means of accessto the Medina must be made morecredible.

Past experience of the opening upof the R’sif, together with the morerecent construction of the AinAzliten Talaa Kbira access road,have highlighted the short-termapproach. This approach reducesdevelopment to demolition workand paved roads enabling vehiclesto enter the Medina.

The policy of safeguarding thisworld heritage cannot make do withsuch a simplistic approach to townplanning. The scale of criticismlevelled at methods of this kindwarrants that the question of accessto the Medina should be viewed inoverall terms. This could involveone of the three roads planned inthe northern part or possibly com-pletion of the Ain Azliten TalaaKbira road.

If this scheme were to be devised asa pilot operation leading to a realevaluation (in terms of cost, qualityand the effects on property and cus-toms of inhabitants) which couldserve as guidance for other accessroad projects and speed up theirimplementation.

Institutionalconsolidation

The mission assigned to me couldnot fail to confirm the importanceof the institutional and financialcomponent in the conduct of theproject for the rehabilitation of theFez Medina.

As regards management of the pro-ject, the absence of co-ordinationbetween the studies and the arbitra-ry attitude towards certain studieswhich were overlooked are symbo-lic of situations which can only beprejudicial to the site.

The Medina project has everythingto gain from the fact that all thosewho are involved in its implemen-tation are adequately informed. Thesharing of knowledge in this way,even if it stirs up controversy, canlend greater dynamism to the pro-ject, which is indispensable formaking effective choices (the finalreport of the Group of Eight, ‘Planfor the rehabilitation of the FezMedina’ , December 1996, WorldBank and the Kingdom ofMorocco, is never referred to byADER. The choice of buildings ofimportance to the heritage referredto in the Medina development planis not based on studies undertakenon that theme).

In its reports submitted in 1992 and1994, the Group of Eight dealt withall aspects of the rehabilitation ofthe Fez Medina and laid specialemphasis on the institutional arran-gements.Clearly defined leadership andmanagement of the project were setapart from the actual supervision ofthe project which was described interms of its aims and procedures

(cf. pp. 742 to 744) and the institu-tional arrangements (p. 763).

While the objectives, roles andtasks to be performed defined in thereports have lost none of their rele-vance today, the absence of a ‘pro-ject bureau’, as proposed by theGroup of Eight, brings into quest-ion the existing institutional arran-gements.

The present situation leads me topropose that an even clearer dis-tinction be made between themanagement of the project and theauthorities.

Overall management ofthe project: clearly

defined responsibilities

The overall management of the pro-ject could be conducted in twocomplementary ways, each ofwhich would be specific.

a) The project Steering CommitteeIts membership would be delibera-tely limited to half a dozen people,under the chairmanship of the Wali.The President of the UrbanCommunity of Fez, the President ofthe Council of Fez Medina and thePrefect of Fez Medina would bepermanent members.

Membership along those lineswould ensure an adequate degree offlexibility and availability to copewith the complexity of a projectsuch as this. In addition to the deci-sions which the Committee couldtake on overall policy, the actionprogramme and the choice of pro-ject management, it could also takeother decisions regarding theannual calendar of meetings andtheir agendas.

- 23 -

I n t e r n a t i o n a l c a m p a i g n

b) The project Steering GroupThis could be the projectSteering Committee with awider membership according tothe nature of the situationsencountered and the decisionsto be taken. Membership couldbe extended, for example, to:- other municipal councils andthe Prefecture of the UrbanCommunity:- other public, private or inter-national institutions whichwould provide their financialsupport;- invited experts;- invited expert facilities whichwould make their expertiseavailable to the Steering Groupfor guidance in decision-making.

Suitably adaptedproject management

In order to avoid misunderstan-dings such as the inconsisten-cies referred to earlier, themanagement team in charge ofstudies and implementationcould be organized in twoways.

a) The Working GroupThis would bring together thetechnical departments of thepublic and private institutionsinvolved in the plan for therehabilitation of Fez Medina,both upstream as well asdownstream.The meetings of the WorkingGroup would provide an opportuni-ty for sharing the latest informationon the Medina and its transforma-tion and for co-ordinating thewhole range of related studies andinterventions.

b) AssignmentsA particular theme or action program-me can require the setting up of acomplex management team compri-sing a variety of skills which may becalled upon for a specific study andimplementation of the related project.Both private bodies and public depart-ments could be involved, as in the

example of the ‘mission tramway’set up by the Strasbourg UrbanCommunity in the wake of a natio-nal survey.

- 24 -

“The Danan Synagogue of Fez will be saved.Restoration work has begun”.

Simon LévySECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE JUDEO-MOROCCAN HERITAGE FOUNDATION

The Mellah of Fez was the first district to bear this name which subsequently became synonymouswith the ‘Jewish district in Moroccan cities’, as stated in the Petit Larousse. In Derb el Ferran-Lehti(Street of the Lower Oven), the oven still exists, as does the fountain opposite it. The last door is thatof the Ibn Danan synagogue (R. Shlomo Danan).

- 25 -

The Ibn Danan synagoguehas not been used for 25 years butits 300-year-old structure has large-ly with stood the ravages of timeand neglect. It is high time it wasrestored. Restoration has now beenplanned and is fully justified by itsarchitectural beauty. and by thekabod attributable to the long andrich lineage of Danan rabbis whoillustrated the history of Fassi andMoroccan Judaism, from RebbiMimun and his son Moshé(Rambam al Fassi) in the fourteen-th century, R. Sadia (fifteenth cen-tury), the two R. Samuels (sixteenthcentury) - the chroniclers of theCommunity (Dibre Hayyamim) andto the Chief Rabbis of our century,such as Rabbi Shlomo, author ofAsher li Shlomo and the regrettedRabbi Saul Danan. the last presi-dent of the Rabbinic High Court.Abraham Laredo has listed no lessthan 50 Ibn Rabba rabbis who camefrom this illustrious family whichnow continues to nurture outstan-ding men and women. It is a duty ofremembrance to restore the IbnDanan synagogue, a monument tomemory.

The Council of Communities, toge-ther with the Jewish Community ofFez and the Judeo-MoroccanHeritage Foundation, are in com-plete agreement with UNESCOwhich decided to classify Fez as a‘world heritage city’ and the WorldMonuments Watch which classifiedthe synagogue among 500 monu-ments worldwide which deserve tobe saved. It is also the conviction ofthe Moroccan Ministry of CulturalAffairs for, while Fez is the spiri-tual and historical capital of thekingdom in the eyes of theMuslims, with the Qarouiyyine andthe tomb of Moulay Idriss, it is toofor the Jews with the memory of its

- 26 -

yeshivas, its great hakhamim andits synagogues.

That is why, under the aegis ofUNESCO and the Ministry ofCulture. and in agreement with theJewish Community of Fez, theHeritage Foundation has set up aprogramme for safeguarding foursynagogues in Fez: Sla delFassiyine, the guardian of theToshabim rite until 1972; Sla R.Mimun Mansano, symbol of thelineages of Sefardim rabbis, and theIbn Danan synagogue. All threedate back to the seventeenth andeighteenth centuries. The fourthand most recent one, EmHabbanim, is the focus of memo-ries for the present generation ofFassis - a small museum has beencreated there - and celebrates thefirst women’s association in theCommunity, which has fed andeducated generations of underprivi-leged children.

Restoration of the Danan syna-gogue is under way. The leadingfigure in this venture is MrBenjamin Danan who has mobili-zed family and friends as generousdonors conscious of their duty topreserve memories, working toge-ther in the Association for theRestoration of the Danan Synagoguein Fez, which also includes theCommittee of the Community ofFez, our Cultural Heritage Foundationand the World Monuments Fundwith its financial participation.

Responsibility for management ofthe project lies with the HeritageDirectorate under the Secretary ofState for Cultural Affairs, whichsupervises restoration work andcontributes directly through itsteam of craftsmen and the supply ofcertain materials. The overall task

of restoring the building to its origi-nal state is being conducted underthe aegis of the Judeo-MoroccanCultural Heritage Foundation andunder the scientific supervision ofUNESCO. Mr Henry Danan andMr Simon Lévy provide follow-upto the restoration work in liaisonwith the Inspectorate of HistoricalMonuments of Fez. The Foundationwill be responsible for maintenanceand for the organization and super-vision of visits to the restoredmonument.

The restoration of the DananSynagogue is a manifestation ofactive co-operation between theMinistry of Culture and theCommunity institutions. It drawson all the energy of our community,in Morocco and worldwide. In thatsense, it is exemplary and we areconvinced that this example will befollowed elsewhere.

The Danan Synagogue of Fezwill be restored

Benjamin DananPRESIDENT OF THE ASSOCIATION

FOR THE RENOVATION OF THE DANAN SYNAGOGUE OF FEZ

UNESCO has declared the city of Fez to be part of the cultural heritage of humanity and chose the Medina, FezDjdid and the Mellah as monuments to be restored and safeguarded as symbols of the city’s former glory. I washappy to learn that the Danan Synagogue of Fez, my family’s synagogue, was among these monuments. At thesame time, the World Monuments Fund was conducting a study of 100 synagogues in Morocco and issued apublication in August 1993 whose cover page was illustrated with a photograph of our synagogue.

- 27 -

In February 1995, MrMohamed Ameziane Hassani sub-mitted a technical project for renova-tion to the Directorate of MoroccanCultural Heritage. In June 1995, MrGiancarlo Barbato. consulting archi-tect to UNESCO, submitted a feasi-bility report on this venture. InNovember 1996, the WorldMonuments Fund published a list of100 civil and religious monuments tobe safeguarded throughout the worldand I recorded with pleasure that theDanan Synagogue was among them.

This organization had previouslypublished a study selecting ten syna-gogues to be safeguarded worldwi-de, including our own.

In view of all these favourable factors,I realized that it was my duty, togetherwith my family, to take the bull by thehorns and take advantage of thisfavourable context.

In March 1996, I organized a visit toMorocco in the company of MsIsabelle de Broglie, WorldMonuments Fund delegate forEurope, Mr Joel A. Zack. an archi-tect from New York, and Mr IsaiahWyner, a photographer from Zurich,both of whom had contributed to thepublication of a book on theMoroccan synagogues.

During our visit, we met the UNES-CO representative in Morocco, MrSerge Berdugo. Secretary-Generalof the Community Council ofMorocco, Mr Levy, Secretary-General of the Judeo-MoroccanHeritage Foundation and Dr Guigui,President of the Jewish Communityof Fez.

They agreed unanimously on theinterest and urgency of undertakingrenovation work.

In May 1997, I was informed by theWorld Monuments Fund that out ofthe 100 projects selected, 17 hadbeen chosen including our syna-gogue, and that a subsidy of $30 000had been allocated to it.

I was invited to attend the gala din-ner held in New York on 2 June1997, on the occasion of which thesubsidies granted for 1997 were tobe announced. I attended the dinnerduring which I received my diplo-ma before the Mayor of the City ofPompeii and after the representati-ve of the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul.

It was now necessary to speed upthe process. On 23 September1997, I attended a working meetingorganized by Mr Mounir Bouchenaki,Director of the Cultural Heritage,together with his main collabora-tors, and chaired by Mr AlbertSasson, Adviser to the Director-General of UNESCO. The role ofeach of the participants was definedat the meeting.

UNESCO will assume responsibili-ty for the scientific management ofthe restoration operation within theframework of the campaign for thesafeguarding of the City of Fez.

The Directorate of Cultural Heritageof the Moroccan Ministry ofCulture will ensure management ofthe project.

The Association for the Restorationof the Danan Synagogue in Fez,which I have just founded, willsupervise the project and providefunding.

Restoration work will be conductedin collaboration with the Judeo-Moroccan Heritage Foundation andthe Committee of the Jewish

Community of Fez which, once thework has been completed, will beresponsible for maintenance, andthe organization and supervision ofvisits.

In November 1997, I returned oncemore to Morocco, in the companyof Mr Henry H. Danan and MrSimon Levy. We were received inRabat by Mr Abdelaziz Touri,Director of Cultural Heritage, in thecompany of his main collaborators.

We drew up the work plan and defi-ned the role of each of the partici-pants. In Fez, we discussed themanner in which building workwould be conducted, and establi-shed a provisional work schedule.

We entrusted Mr Bennani KhalidKarim, graduate engineer of theEcole Spéciale des Travaux Publics(Paris), with the post of consultantengineer, and Mr Ameziane HassaniMohamed. D.E.S.A. engineer(Paris), with the management ofoperations.

Now that the technical studies havebeen completed, I shall have toreturn to Fez in early February toconclude the various contracts andlaunch the restoration work. Variouseminent figures have displayedinterest in the project I presented tothem and have made up a presti-gious Honorary Committee compo-sed of:

- Mr Mounir Bouchenaki, Directorof Cultural Heritage at UNESCO;- Mr Andre Azoulay, Adviser to HisMajesty King Hassan II ofMorocco;- the Director of the MoroccanCultural Heritage;- Mr Michel Dreyfus Schmidt, Vice-President of the French Senate;

- 28 -

S a f e g u a r d o f t h e m e d i n a o f f e z

- Mr Hadj M’Hamed Dryef, Walidu Grand Fès;- The World Jewish Congress:- Mr David Messas. Chief Rabbi ofParis;- Mr Abderrahim Filali Baba,

President of the Urban Communityof Fez;- Mr Serge Berdugo, Secretary tothe Council of Jewish Communitiesof Morocco, former Minister:- The World Monuments Fund;- Mr Robert Assaraf, President ofthe C.R.D.J.M.;- American Express;- Professor Moshe Bar Asher,President of the Academy of theHebrew Language.The Active Founders Committee iscomposed of:President: Mr Benjamin Danan;Vice-Presidents: Ms Marie DananBerdugo, Mr Simon Lévy,Secretary-General of the Judeo-Moroccan Cultural HeritageFoundation, Dr Armand Guigui,President of the Jewish Communityof Fez. Mr Michel Halperin, formerPresident of the GenevaAssociation of Barristers. Mr HenriD. Danan.General Secretary: Ms Lise Danan.

I was anxious to see this synagoguerestored for various reasons. Firstof all, it was built in the seventeen-th century, during the Merinid per-iod, a time of unprecedentedarchitectural diversity in Fez. It iscurrently being classified by theHistorical Monuments Department.

Another reason was that I wished topay tribute to my ancestors who,over the centuries, estabished alineage of chief rabbis, renownedjudges and illustrious theologiansthroughout the world, dating backto Maimonid, who lived in Fez atDar El Magana. and was a student

and subsequently a teacher at theQuaraouiyyine.

Last but not least, I wished to bearwitness to the 2,000-year-old pre-sence of the Jewish Community inMorocco where it led a globallyhappy existence especially whencompared to the genocides whichits co-religionists had to endure inEurope and the Middle East, exceptfor certain dark periods, as underthe Almohad rule, for example.

I am particularly grateful to UNES-CO which recognized the qualitiesof the monument and has strivenunceasingly to move the projectforward.

I am also indebted to the WorldMonuments Fund and to AmericanExpress which have partly sponso-red this venture.

May I also express my thanks to themembers of the HonoraryCommittee who, by their moralauthority, have given substantial

credibility to our association.May I also thank the MoroccanMinistry of Culture and, more espe-cially, Mr Touri. Director of CulturalHeritage, in charge of the technicalmanagement of the project.

Last but not least, I wish to thank myfamily, my friends and all those whohave provided moral and financial support for this renovation project.

- 29 -

The most outstanding phasesin the history of Fez

Tewfik EttayebDIRECTOR OF “MEDINA” MAGAZINE

CONSULTANT TO UNESCO

General view of the Medina (painting, early twentieth century .- Source: Medina

The city of Fez stands out today as one of the most accomplished and best preserved Muslim urban models.As the custodian of undying traditions, a culture in constant renewal and specific economic and social acti-vities, the city bears the mark of various influences through its layout, building techniques and the orna-mentation of its monuments which reflect the prevailing taste of the various periods it went through andthe dynasties which displayed virtually constant interest in it. Fez, like Cordoba, was nurtured by a manwho wished to escape from the new Abbassid regime. Nevertheless, while it never came to be the capital ofa Caliphate, it did stand out as one of the leading cultural centres of the medieval world and was to bebedecked with monuments whose form and ornamentation reflected nostalgia for Andalusia.

- 30 -

S a f e g u a r d o f t h e m e d i n a o f F e z

The foundation of Fez:the Idrissid period

Historical textual sources differ asto the identity of the founder of thecity of Fez. Some attribute its foun-dation to Idris Ben ‘Abdallah whois thought to have built the city onthe right bank of Wadi Fez . Othersources attribute the foundation ofthe city on the left bank to his son,Idris II Ben Idris. Levi-Provençal,however, was able to show. on thebasis of the existence of twoIdrissid coins, that the foundationof the city dated back to Idris I. Thefirst coin was dated 185 of theHegira (801 AD) and is now at theKharkow Museum in Russia, whilethe other, dated 189 of the Hegira(805 AD) is at the BibliothequeNationale in Paris. Both bear thereference “Medina Fès” (City ofFez). In actual fact, all the coinsminted after 192 of the Hegira (808AD), under Idris II. bore the ins-cription ‘Fès al-aliya’ (The UpperFez). It is therefore more than pro-bable that the city was in fact foun-ded by Idris I.The first city was built in pisé. onthe right bank of Wadi Fez. Weknow little about the two oratoriesthat were originally major sanctua-ries, apart from succinct descrip-tions. The Fatima mosque in theQairouan district (242/857) and theAndalusian mosque in the districtof the same name (245/859-60)were medium-sized buildings withaisles parallel to the wall of thekibla, with sahns planted with treesand minarets of limited height.The few remains of the surroundingmillstone wall of the Qairouan dis-trict do not provide much evidence,in the absence of any remains of

doors and towers, of what the broadoutline of the first rampart mayhave been.At the beginning of the ninth centu-ry, Fez and the surrounding areawere populated essentially byBerbers. This was to change withthe massive influx of Arabs comingfrom the prestigious cities ofCordoba and Qairouan, in the wakeof unsuccessful revolts.In 818. 8000 Muslim families,together with a number of Jews,were forced to leave Al-Andalus inorder to settle in the district whichwas to bear their name of origin:‘the Andalusian quarter’. Six yearslater, in 824, several thousand Arabfamilies were in turn forced toleave Qairouan after a revolt so asto settle in a district which was alsoto bear their name: ‘the Qairouanquarter’. At the time, Cordoba andQairouan were major culturalcentres and the two groups made asignificant, original contribution tothe development of Fez. (The pos-sible existence of a Cordobanworkshop in Fez has often been thesubject of conjecture). Craftsmanshipin the use of ceramics, stucco andwood would seem to testify to thatpresence.As a place of enlightenment, thecity was to develop around the Al-Qaraouiyyine mosque and themosque of the Andalusians. aroundwhich also developed madrassas,hammams, markets, fonduqs andhouses with patios and gardens,whose introverted architectureremains difficult to detect.The area on either side of the WadiFez was gradually developed, eachpart being surrounded by a wall inpisé providing protection againstexternal interference.The sons of Idris II were not tomake any major transformation tothe city apart from developing dis-

tricts outside the confines of thetwo Adoua. Nothing remains of thisperiod today. Conversely, the al-Qaraouiyyine mosque and the al-Andalus mosque have survived,both monuments having beenextended on several occasionsunder the various successive dynas-ties.The Idrisses left the city with adecisive spatial layout, by bequea-thing a model of inspiration forfuture building work in the centu-ries that followed.

The Zenet period

After a period of agitation andbloody conflict, the city was torecover renewed artistic activityunder the Zenet emirs who were theallies and vassals of the Umayyadsof Cordoba. The mosques of al-Qaraouiyyine and al-Andalus beca-me the major mosques of the twocities in 933 (321 H). Both buil-dings were rebuilt and extendedunder the Maghrawa emirs. Theaisles, always parallel to the wall ofthe qibla, were composed of semi-circular brick arches while the axialaisles were flanked with quadrifo-liate stone pillars.The two minarets, built in 349/960,are still standing. That of the al-Qarawiyyin mosque was built at therequest and expense of ‘Abd al-Rahman III, Caliph of Cordoba.The two towers, built of stone, werea reproduction of the minaret of theGrand Mosque of Cordoba, by theirproportions and square layout witha central staircase. The top of thetowers with the jutting string-cour-se and cupola are reminiscent of themosque of Qairouan.

-3l-

The Almoravid period

This period was to be decisive inthe architectural history of Fez. TheAlmoravids created the firstHispano-Maghrebin empire exten-ding from al-Andalus as far as theTagus and, in the Maghreb, fromFez to Tlemcen. The Andalusianinfluence was to become more pro-nounced and left its mark on thecity of Fez in architectural as wellas cultural terms.When founding the city ofMarrakech in 1062, Fez, because ofits strategic position, was to beco-me a northern base from where theAlmoravids could dispatch theirexpeditions. In fact, the city expe-rienced many transformationsunder their rule. They linked thetwo rival cities, each of which wasbuilt around the Al-Qaraouiyyineand Al-Andalus mosques, eachwith its surrounding walls whichwere demolished to make way for asingle rampart.The Wadi Fez was to be used morejudiciously thanks to the introduc-tion of watermills; the Qaraouiyyinemosque was enlarged by Ali IbnYussuf who built its central sectionwith the dimensions it has today.The monumental gates of Boujloud,Filala and Shemaine were built.The Douh gardens were laid out.The Qaraouiyyine mosque now hada central aisle. The predominantfeature of Almoravid art was theuse of Kuffic script in epigraphyand calligraphy through greatercomplexity in the floral and geome-trical ornamentation. Fez proved tobe one of the leading culturalcentres with some 104 paper millsat the time. A whole district, derbQaghatine, was devoted to tradingin paper and books.

While the Sanhadjian emirs choseMarrakech as their capital, they didnot forget Fez which they contribu-ted to embellishing. They had foun-tains and baths built and providedevery house with running water.Bridges were built, some of whichare still used today.

The Almohad period:twelfth and thirteenth

centuries

The Almohad dynasty was born inthe Upper Atlas mountains throughthe impetus given by Ibn Toumert,who came from the Berger tribe ofthe Masmouda. He captured Fez in1146 after some resistance. In 1148,the whole of Morocco was conque-red by the Almohads who extendedthe Hispano-Maghrebin empirebeyond Tlemcen and, in Andalusia,as far as the Tagus. Real unity wasachieved for the benefit of peaceand economic prosperity. Artunderwent a strong Andalusianinfluence and the city attractednumerous learned men such as IbnRochd (Avvéroes), Ibn Arabi. alIdrissi and Maimonid. TheAlmohad dynasty was to apply andassert a new concept of art devisedin Tinmel and based on linear puri-ty and strength. Most of themosques were rebuilt or modifiedin order to rectify their orientation.The ramparts built by the Almoravidswere completed and strengthened.New monumental gates were builtincluding that of Bab Mahruq.Sewers were built thereby creatinga network of what was to becomethe movement of water in the city,thereby extending the urban deve-lopment launched by the Idrissids.Residential areas were confined toderbs (cul-de-sacs) which ensured

protection and privacy. The mainmosques found their definitivelocation at the centre of concentriccircles including shops, fonduqs,hammams and administrative buil-dings. Such unprecedented deve-lopment was due to economicgrowth and genuine prosperity (cf.Rawd al Qirtas listing an impressi-ve number of mosques, mills, ham-mams, shops and workshops). Fezbecame a university centre of greatrenown throughout the Muslimworld. However, Almohad power,undermined from within, reachedits peak at the end of the thirteenthcentury and gave way to a Zenethfaction from the east, the Merinids.

The Merinid period: thir-teenth and

fourteenth centuries

The new conquerors invested thecity in 1248. The aspect of Fezwhich we are familiar with todaydates back to those times. Theywere to make Fez the capital oftheir kingdom. The rule of theMerinids corresponds in terms ofart to a genuine nostalgia forAndalusia. A distinguishing featurewas the building of numerousmadrassas, the concept of whichhad come from the Orient under theSeldjukids and which were destinedto provide pluridisciplinary tea-ching, providing both board andlodging to students who had comefrom outside the city. Most of themadrassas had close links with theal-Qaraouiyyine mosque.This period owed its prosperity tothe fact that the Merinids proved tobe builders of exceptional talent.There was intense architecturalactivity and a genuine revival of the

- 32 -

arts enriched by the skills of theAndalusian refugees who wereconstantly increasing in number.Very fine houses, preserved to thisday, and new districts emerged.

A sanctuary was built on the site ofthe tomb of Idris II who had foun-ded the city. His mosque was exten-ded and very richly decorated. Anew city, Fez al-Jadid was createdbeyond the ramparts by emirYacoub Ibn ‘Abdalhaq in 1276. Itcomprised three areas: the palace,the city itself and the Mellah (orJewish quarter). This was the firstMellah in Morocco. All three partsof the new city were linked to theold city in the nineteenth century bythe gardens of Boujloud, under thereign of Sultan Moulay Hassan I.

The Saadian period

Under the Saadians, who were inconflict for a long time with theBanu Wattas in order to conquerFez, the city was to experience dif-ficult times once again. Marrakechrecovered its status as capital andthe sultans turned away from Fez.They consolidated the surroundingwalls of Fez al Jadid which remai-ned the seat of government. Twobuildings were erected to keepwateh over Fez al Bali: theNorthern Bordj and the SouthernBordj. The Qaraouiyyine mosquewas equipped with two kiosks eachof which contained a fountain. ins-pired directly by those of theAlhambra in Grenada, Andalusia.The agitated period which was mar-ked by the rule of the Saadians wasnot favourable to the constructionof monuments or the execution ofmajor building schemes.

The Alawite period

The Alawite dynasty was to prove aworthy heir to the Merinids by per-petuating their art. The founder ofthe dynasty, Moulay al-Rachid,gave Fez a new madrassa, that ofSherratin, in 1670. His successor,Moulay Ismail, however, transfer-red his capital to Meknès but hadthe mausoleum and sanctuary ofMoulay Idris rebuilt. From the mid-eighteenth century onwards, Fezbecame the residence of the sultansonce again. Virtually all the sove-reigns, from Sidi Muhammad b.‘Abd Allah onwards, contributed tothe palaces of Fez al-Jadid. The lar-gest buildings date back particular-ly to Mawlay al-Abd al-Rahman( 1237-75/1822- 1859) and to May lay al-Hasan (1289-1313/1873-1894). Theramparts were rebuilt on several occa-sions and a monumental gate, Bab al-Futuh, was entirely rebuilt by MaylaySulayman.Many mosques and oratories werebuilt in Fez. The most prominent ofthese were the mosques of BabGisa (Djisa), al-Rasif and Siyadj inFez al-Bali, and the mosque ofMaylay ‘Abd Allah in Fez al-Jadid.Many district mosques, oratoriesdedicated to the saints and the seatsof brotherhoods were built. Therelatively extensive sanctuaries, inkeeping with local tradition, com-prised aisles parallel to the wall ofthe qibla; the minarets had squaretowers comprising a skylight; thebrick walls, whether coated or not,were decorated with arcatures.Several madrassas were built,including Bab Gisa and al-Wadwhich more or less retained the tra-ditional layout.Most of the houses in Fez date backto the Alawite period, but reflect anextension of the Merinid tradition.The walls are made of pisé and

bricks in particular, sometimes coa-ted millstone. In the old city, thehouses are higher, often with twostoreys, erected around narrowpatios. In the less densely popula-tion peripheral areas, lower houseswere built around vast patios andsometimes gardens. The fonduqswith floors and galleries retainedthe layout of the Merinid fonduqsand have frequently remained finebuildings in this commercial city.In recent centuries, there has beenremarkable fidelity to a majorarchitectural and decorative tradi-tion, which preserves a certainunity of style, maintained by guildsof craftsmen who master theirtrade, thereby giving Fez remar-kable harmony and ensuring its per-ennity and strong identity, wherebyit is one of the best-preserved citiesin the Islamic world, having survi-ved the colonial period virtuallyunscathed.

- 33 -

Urban identities and imported models

Mounir Bouchenaki and Laurent L&i-StraussCULTURAL HERITAGE DIVISION

UNESCO

The Moroccan Government, UNESCO and the World Bank have joined forces to undertake a majorplan for the rehabilitation of the medina of Fez.The principles of intervention chosen by the partners respect the specific nature of the town-planning,which seems to have been neglected in an earlier plan, now discarded.On the strength of that experience, this article puts forward a number of observations on the negativeeffects which such intervention, however well-intentioned, might have on the conservation of culturalheritage, if it failed to respect the original features of the site.

- 34 -

Over 100 historic urban centreshave so far been recognized asWorld Heritage sites. However, thisall-embracing term ‘historic urbancentre’ covers a wide range of spe-cific cases, all with their own sepa-rate identities that are even moredifferent and dissimilar from oneanother than the cultures and formsof urban life that have created them.Thus. it would be simplistic andextremely dangerous to take theview that certain models or pro-cusses of conservation, restorationor rehabilitation could be universal-ly applied and that approaches thathad produced desirable results insome cases could be equally suc-cessful at all these different sites.However. the temptation to whichmany city planners have been sub-ject has sometimes been that muchstronger, and consequently the dan-ger that much greater. as a result ofthe spread of a kind of poorlyunderstood ideology of ‘moder-nism’ throughout the world duringthe last 50 years, which has all toooften been seen as an essential stan-dard of reference and the onlymodel that would provide access towhat the West established duringthe inter-war period as the soleparadigm of ‘progress’. Thus, themost extreme manifestations of theModern Movement in architectureand its variants. the ‘InternationalStyle’ and ‘Functionalism’. publici-zed by certain members of theinternational congresses of modernarchitecture. eventually came toimpose a sort of simplistic univer-sal creed which, even before therewas recognition of the clear dama-ge that it had inflicted on manyEuropean cities, cities that providedthe context for its conception, hadalready brought about irreparabledisaster in very many historic citiesthroughout the world.

Starting from the principle, regar-ded as self-evident. that the patternsof urban development inheritedfrom the past constituted unaccep-table obstacles to ‘progress’, whichwas seen solely in terms of econo-mic development, many historiccentres were ripped apart by theconstruction of highways, shatteredby abrupt changes of scale, and dis-figured by the construction of buil-dings whose materials. style andsocio-economic functions weretotally incompatible with the pat-terns of a particular way of life anda particular culture patiently crea-ted over centuries. It was thisapproach that resulted in the com-plete disintegration of the lowerpart of the Casbah of Algiers duringthe 1950s.

In fact. contrary to what somepeople may have thought, cities,and in particular their historiccentres, cannot be reduced to amere set of functions - living,moving around, working, educatingand enjoying oneself, etc. - but areentities formed around immenselycomplicated reciprocal relation-ships. slowly built up over the cen-turies. each one contributing.within its own particular culturalsetting. a whole series of originalsolutions arising in each case froma range of possibilities and limita-tions imposed by history, geogra-phy. economic factors and theoverall development of society ingeneral. A city is not just a collec-tion of buildings for various uses

and a centre for the production andexchange of goods and services,which can be made to ‘function’better by means of universallyapplicable formulas, but rather acomplex and multidimensional cul-tural entity within which socialorganizations. ways of life, skills,

beliefs, standards. values and repre-sentations of the world’s differentcultures find expression. Furthermore.cities can only be understoodthrough an awareness of the manydifferent relationships they havewith their natural and human envi-ronment and with their non-physi-cal environment. Not to understandthis and not to take it into accountwhen planning any form of actionin relation to an ancient city or,what is even worse. to attempt toapply modern town planning to ahistoric city which is organized andwhich operates according to a com-pletely different logic would notonly doom such action to failure.but would be the surest way ofrapidly achieving the destruction ofthe whole urban system subjectedto it.

It was against this background thatthe Medina of Fez came very closeto suffering irreparable damage in1995. In January of that year agroup of experts attending an inter-national meeting on ‘Heritage andtown planning’. organized jointly inFez by the Moroccan Ministry ofCultural Affairs and UNESCO toconsider the future of the city. wasinformed, almost incidentally, of avast project to drive three majorhighways through the historic heartof the Medina. Realizing that theexistence and, above all, the immi-nence of this project threw theirproceedings into total disarray andhad to be the focus of their atten-tion. the national and internationalexperts decided to examine thewhole project and seek to unders-tand the motivations and philoso-phy behind it and its foreseeableconsequences.

- 35 -

I n t e r n a t i o n a l c a m p a i g n

In their recommendations, whichreceived the support of the localauthorities and the Minister ofCultural Affairs. the experts poin-ted out that the life of a Medina wastotally dependent on a complex anddelicate balance between the orde-red arrangement of urban space. themeans of circulation. roads andpassages within the city and theways of life and forms of socialintercourse there, and that some ofthese features were likely to be irre-deemably altered by extreme andpoorly designed town-planningmeasures such as the building ofhighways. when all too manyexamples in the world had alreadyshown that. far from providing asolution. the sudden arrival of thecar in city centres had proved extre-mely destructive. Consequently.they expressed their ‘deepestconcern’ that these new highwayprojects would lead to the destruc-tion of the urban fabric.

These recommendations wereadopted by the UNESCO ExecutiveBoard, which also met at Fez. onthe invitation of His Majesty theKing and the Government ofMorocco, for its 136th session inJune of the same year.

In the document entitled the‘Declaration of Fez’. the ExecutiveBoard, drawing principally on the1976 UNESCO Recommendationconcerning the Safeguarding andContemporary Role of HistoricAreas and the 1987 Toledo-Washington Charter. emphasizedthat any master plan for an old cityshould ‘preserve the historic cha-racter of the city and the aggregateof material and spiritual elementsthat express its image. Any attackon these values would jeopardizethe authenticity of the historic city’.

It went on to state that: ‘Action in ahistoric old quarter or city shouldbe taken carefully, methodicallyand rigorously. In this regard, thenew functions and the infrastructu-re networks demanded by contem-porary life should be in keepingwith the specific features of the his-toric old city: in particular. majorroad networks should not penetrateinto historic old cities but merelyease traffic flow in the approachesto them and facilitate access tothem’.

How could the situation at Fez havereached this stage? Once again itwas under cover of the magicwords ‘progress’ and ‘moderniza-tion’ that massive demolition pro-grammes were to be undertakenand cars brought into the very heartof the city. Apparently no priorattempt had been made to underta-ke a real critical analysis of thesevague concepts - which had none-theless been considerably reasses-sed over the previous 20 years - andto examine their real meaning, theirvalidity and the ways in which theymight be applied to a Medina. Thename of Haussmann was, of course,invoked - as an inevitable point ofreference for many of those invol-ved in urban planning - togetherwith several vague references to theleitmotivs of the Modem Movement.in order to justify the huge demoli-tion and clearance programmeswhose sole consequence wouldhave been to destroy one of man-kind’s outstanding achievements.The rather simplistic ideas thatunderlay this initiative. describedby some as ‘urbicide’, revealed infact not only ignorance of the spe-cific characteristics of architectureand town planning in WesternEurope as compared with the Arab-Islamic world, but also a lack of

understanding of Haussmann’smethods and of the ideas of LeCorbusier and his followers.Without going into details in thisshort article, it nevertheless seemsthat there was a clear failure tounderstand that the basic elementsof urban planning in Europe - suchas the arrangement of a city arounda central core, the role of the façadeas an open interface between publicand private life, the street as a pas-sageway for heavy-wheeled vehicles.the grid pattern of the streets and.

more generally, the constantly rei-terated relationship between theindividual shape of the buildingsand the overall fabric of the city -are replaced by something entirelydifferent in the Arab and Islamicworld. There w-as a similar failureto realize that the kind of plannedchanges that had been made atvarious times to the one could not,in any case, be imposed on theother. And, finally. it seems that itwas not understood that bothHausamann’s approach to townplanning and the theories of theModern Movement. far from see-king to set themselves up as univer-sally valid principles for all formsof urban planning throughout theworld. were no more - judged bothby their own methods and theirpublicly stated objectives - thanpractical operations, which inHaussmann’s case involved ‘moder-nizing’ Paris through systematicapplication of the traditional prin-ciples of European urban planningwith the help of measures in perfectkeeping with the classical modelinherited from the Renaissance.while the Modern Movement. onthe contrary. still operating withinthe same framework of referencebut in the name of the new indus-trial society, was systematicallyopposed to the same principles of

- 36

classical European urban planningand sought to break with them at alllevels.Consequently. any attempt to impo-se changes upon Fez in accordancewith principles reflecting an entire-ly different approach to urban plan-ning. whether in continuity with thepast or in opposition to it, could beof no relevance.Following the Declaration of Fezand initiatives taken by theDirector-General of UNESCO. MrFederico Mayor, the Moroccanauthorities, UNESCO and theWorld Bank. which was preparingan ambitious project for the rehabi-litation of the Medina at preciselythat time, decided to act together inan attempt to find solutions thatwould reconcile the measures madenecessary by the decay of the oldcity and the growing needs of itsinhabitants with the task of preser-ving the essential character and theoutstanding historical and culturalheritage of this exceptional site.Looking beyond the simplistic idea- which had in any case manifestlyfailed everywhere else - that theprovision of parking facilities closeto their homes was the only way ofinducing the middle and upperclasses to come back and live in theMedina. and thus once again main-tain the houses there. the workinggroups preferred. in dealing withthis problem of accessibility, themore environmentally friendly ideaof establishing an internal networkfor emergency access linked topaved roads that stopped outsidethe old city or only penetrated ashort distance past its edge or intoareas of lesser architectural impor-tance. This network was planned sothat. even without major demolitionwork, small and specially designedemergency vehicles (ambulances,police cars, fire engines. etc.) could

reach far enough into the Medina inorder to be able to deal with thefundamental needs of its inhabi-tants. This approach neverthelessrequired extremely delicate andmeticulous work within the Medinain order to assess. for each quarterand often for individual houses.what could be modified and whatmust be preserved at all costs.Several meetings were held in Fezbringing together the main partnersin the project: the provincial andmunicipal authorities of Fez.UNESCO, the World Bank, ADER-FES (Agence de Dédensification etde Réhabilitation de la Medina deFès) and the Moroccan Ministry ofCultural Affairs. At the stage rea-ched by the middle of 1997, theoverall project appeared to bereconciling the various require-ments in a most satisfactory man-ner. In some areas, however, specialattention still needed to be given tothe local implementation of pro-jects and, in some cases. alternativesolutions had to be sought.

In this connection. the ‘Douh link’project (joining the western Douhand southern Douh access roads,from Batha square to Bab Jdid)needs to be re-examined as a matterof priority and all the consequencesof the proposed changes properlyassessed. As Philippe Revaultnoted in his October 1997 missionreport prepared for UNESCO andthe chairmen of the local authori-ties, it is a cause of some surprise(and, we would add, anxiety) thatthese two access roads, which areseparate on the AUSF (Agenceurbaine et de sauvegarde de Fès)plan. are linked up on the detailedI:500 scale ADER-FES plansthrough a mainly residential area ofthe Medina with large and attracti-ve gardens.

-- 37

In the future there is a need in morespecific areas to abandon the pure-ly road-based approach employedin the creation of the Ain Azliten-Talaa Kbira access two years ago,where a road w-as constructed forthe use of vehicular traffic withoutany attention being paid to the sur-roundings. Large areas of waste-land left empty following theroad-building programme are nowmostly used for parking, which hasclearly impaired the character ofthe Medina in an area where terra-ced market gardens and the proxi-mity of the Merinid tombs wouldhave offered a panoramic view overa remarkable landscape in whichthe ramparts could be seen toadvantage.

The planned Ain Azliten - DerbAmeur access also needs to betotally re-examined. The March1997 proposal was for a wide. stee-ply sloping access road to be ope-ned up through an area of gardensand cultivated land planted withlarge trees. and for a car park to beconstructed on a square that is cur-rently laid out with a small garden.The UNESCO -World Bank -ADER-FES mission pointed out thevery damaging consequences of theproject (destruction of a quiet areaof gardens and trees, traffic noiseand pollution on a steep slope) andrequested that further studies becarried out in order to find moreenvironmentally friendly solutions.One idea that might be worth exa-mining would be to reduce thelength of the access road open toheavy traffic and to extend theemergency network - which is lessdamaging to the environment - sothat it links up with the road at apoint further away from the centrethan the present junction. A compe-tition might also be organized with

I n t e r n a t i o n a l c a m p a i g n

a view to obtaining new ideas onthis subject.

In the case of the plans to build acar park at Makhfia in the south, thesame mission called for the floorlevel to be lowered further so thatthe covering slab could also belowered. thereby reducing thevisual impact and respecting morefully the scale of the surroundingbuildings.

Finally, the mission stated that. as ageneral rule, particular attentionshould be given to archaeologicalremains that might be uncovered inthe course of the work and that. ifnecessary, emergency excavationsshould be undertaken. The opportu-nity rarely presents itself to obtainaccurate information on the historyof a city on the basis of data thatcould be obtained from the manyexploratory surveys carried outduring safeguarding operations.It would, however. be extremelyshort-sighted to attempt yet again tosee these ideas and recommenda-tions solely in terms of the diffe-rences in outlook and approachbetween those intent on defendingthe heritage at all cost and the plan-ners conscious of their responsibili-ties for undertaking the necessaryurban development work. Indeed itis precisely because of these res-ponsibilities and of the action thatneeds to be taken that we should beon our guard, in the light of theexperience gained throughout theworld over recent decades, againstthe instant remedies and standardformulas of an ideology of ‘moder-nity’ that is now widely challengedand severely criticized. There isnow recognition that effective andsuccessful work has been carriedout in certain medinas, includingthe Hafsia quarter in Tunis, which

has even received support from theWorld Bank. The establishment ofan Association to Safeguard theMedina of Tunis has had an unde-niable impact on projects to deve-lop and regenerate this urbancomplex, which is recognized as aWorld Heritage site.

It is a well-known fact that forsome years now there has been anexplosion of the urban populationthroughout the world so that by theturn of the century half the world’spopulation will be living in cities.This fact alone shows how urgentand important it is to undertake tho-rough studies prior to carrying outthe urban development projectsincreasingly required - and on an asyet uncertain scale - by theconstantly growing influxes ofgenerally poor people into thecities. The solutions put forward bythe followers of the ModernMovement have led to little elsethan the proliferation of shantytowns within enormous agglomera-tions, dormitory towns and concre-te jungles. Nowadays. it is enoughto read the newspapers to realizethat the costs can be measured notonly in aesthetic and economicterms, but above all in political andsocial terms. In Europe. as elsewhe-re, even the minimum degree ofcohesion essential for all social lifeis now under threat. At least someof the reasons for this loosening ofsocial bonds are all too easy toidentify. They are to be found in thecreation of public spaces that arealmost entirely devoted to trafficand parking and which offer noopportunity for the normal develop-ment of social life and citizenship.They lie in a negation of the pastand of a place’s identity, stemmingdirectly from a tabula rasa approachwhich ignores history, forms of

social organization, ways of lifeand their symbolic representation inthe physical world, and also fromthe destruction of the collectivememory that they contain. Theyoriginate in the failure of a functio-nalist and technocratic approach tourban planning to recognize thecultural distinctiveness of differentcommunities and in the attempt toimpose the same norms, the samevalues and the same standardizedsolutions everywhere.

Instead we need to seek solutionsthat are the very opposite of thisnegation of place, which seems tobe the aim of those whose conceptof space is both anaemic and amne-sic. based as it is on the principlesof a supposed universal rationality.However, experience shows thatthe success of any urban develop-ment project is mainly due to thefact that its guidelines are drawnfrom the specific circumstances ofthe place in question. that it rejectsa priori solutions and favours anempirical approach rooted inconcrete reality rather than onebased on deduction and abstraction.

Urban society in the twenty-firstcentury will only be able to surviveif it continues to find ways to deve-lop and function within a frame-work of common references thatdraw not only on its social diversi-ty, but also - and perhaps mainly -on the depth of the cultural memo-ry contained within the city itself.At a time when social diversity iseverywhere leading to fragmenta-tion, it is only this cultural memorythat will maintain the indispensablesocial bonds that enable a mosaic ofpeople with different origins andcultures and of different genera-tions to live together.

- 38 -