Princess Lalla Hasnaa, President of the Foundation for the Safeguarding of Cultural Heritage in Rabat, offered a reception on Monday in honor of a UNESCO delegation, led by the Director General, Audrey Azoulay, who is taking part in the work of the 17th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.
This reception was the occasion for an exchange between the Princess and the Director General of UNESCO which focused on the cooperation, for ten years, between the Foundation and the United Nations Organization with regard to the management of the heritage of the city of Rabat, inscribed in 2012 on the list of world heritage of humanity. Rabat, this listed property of 348 hectares, has eight historical components making the capital of the Kingdom an urban heritage simultaneously ancient and modern.
The Foundation initiates and defines an ambitious policy in favor of raising the awareness of the inhabitants of Rabat and its visitors, the heritage of a city being preserved in the long term only when its population has understood its value and is attached to it.
Lalla Hasna subsequently received the members of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Committee, in the presence of Mehdi Bensaid, Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication and Ambassador Samir Addahre, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Morocco to UNESCO.
In a statement to the press, Ms Azoulay praised the “very rich” collaboration between the Foundation and UNESCO in the protection of the cultural heritage of Rabat, welcoming the intensity of this cooperation which is developing from more and more, particularly in the fields of education and raising awareness of heritage issues.
The Foundation for the Safeguarding of Cultural Heritage of Rabat participates in the work of the 17th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage through the organization, with the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication and the House of l’Artisan, of an exhibition entitled: “Carpets of Rabat, a whole art”, which will continue until 03 December.
This remarkable rug, the only urban tradition in Morocco, drew its inspiration from Anatolian, Persian and Moroccan traditions. It is a reference element of the intangible heritage of the Capital which is destined to join the list of world heritage.
The Foundation for the Safeguarding of the Cultural Heritage of Rabat was created by King Mohammed VI in order to preserve the material, immaterial and landscape heritage of Rabat. Indeed, part of the city has been listed since 2012 on the UNESCO World Heritage List under the title: “Rabat, Modern Capital and Historic City: a shared heritage”.
The Foundation develops programs around three founding axes: educate, raise awareness and federate. A powerful lever for inclusion and cohesion, Rabat’s heritage is a real driver of social, economic and cultural development.
The Foundation thus carries out regular heritage discovery actions with the Rbatis, especially the youngest, in order to create this emotional bond, guaranteeing respect and the preservation of their memory.
The Foundation’s programs target the general public, professionals, institutions and particularly the youngest.
The Foundation sets up, as part of its educational programs, educational kits and digital platforms for the mediation of cultural heritage, through the “digitalization of heritage” program. It thus organizes scientific workshops to which experts from all continents are invited to share, exchange and advance the precious cause of the preservation of modern and ancient cultural heritage.
The work, carried out in a partnership approach, combines expertise and resources, and brings together institutional, public and private actors with the aim of asserting the need for heritage protection in the Kingdom.
