Rabat, One of 'Rare Cities Thought from its Geographical Base' (UNESCO DG)

25 March 2022 Printable Version

Rabat - Rabat is one of the "rare cities thought from its geographical base" and which, to direct its layout, respected its ocean, its river, its ancient gardens and its historical landmarks, said Friday Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Audrey Azoulay.

In her speech on the occasion of the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the inscription of the city of Rabat on the UNESCO World Heritage List, which took place at the Kasbah des Oudayas, Azoulay stressed that the Moroccan capital holds another important foundation of the world heritage, that of "dialogue between the old and the new and to be able to go towards the new while respecting, understanding and valuing the old".

She also said that soon the UNESCO Chair will open at the School of Architecture of the International University of Rabat (UIR), a Chair on the urban landscape that will extend this spirit to better insert the heritage in urban development strategies.

"Rabat is a very intense cultural city that embodies what a UNESCO World Heritage listing should be, which is not only a label but a point of deepening strategies based on culture," said the Director-General of UNESCO.

As part of an ambitious vision that puts culture at the heart of strategies and projects of societies and after ten years of its inscription, Rabat was chosen to be the first African capital of culture and designated by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) to be the cultural capital of the Islamic world in 2022, she added.

Welcoming the daily action of civil society as a "watchdog and actor of heritage" that disseminates heritage issues to the younger generation, the UN official highlighted the initiative of the Foundation for the Safeguarding of Cultural Heritage in Rabat for the development of educational content for schoolchildren.

Azoulay also welcomed the partnership between UNESCO and Morocco to further develop a joint program for the preservation and transmission of Moroccan know-how, "a wealth envied throughout the world”.

The working visit of the Director-General of UNESCO to Morocco is part of the commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the inscription of the city of Rabat on the World Heritage List.

The ceremony was co-chaired by the Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication, Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, and the Director-General of UNESCO, in the presence of eminent personalities from the world of culture and politics, including the Director General of ICESCO, Salem Ben Mohamed El Malek, the Wali of the region of Rabat-Salé-Kénitra, Mohamed Yacoubi, the president of the Communal Council of Rabat, Asmaa Aghlalou and the permanent secretary of the Academy of the Kingdom of Morocco, Abdeljalil Lahjomri.