As part of a series of meetings on "The challenges of Islamic heritage and its protection," the Al Muniya Association of Marrakech recently held its third meeting of this holy month at the Riad in Triq Jbel Lakhder in the Medina.

President of the Association, Jaafar Kanssousi, recalled the need to preserve heritage in a context of violence that recently pushed extremists to vandalise monuments of inestimable spiritual value in Mali, in the name of an erroneous interpretation of religion.

In this context, architect Mohamed Belmejjad presented a series of slides on the often disastrous state of a number of monuments in the Medina of Marrakech.

Then, Professor Mustapha Lmhadder, a researcher in traditional arts, launched the debate around the El Badi Palace: "What fate should we reserve for the remains of El Badi?" A question eminently debated, as the formidable spectacle of the Saadian ruins challenges consciences.

Should we be content with the sad spectacle and mourn the past splendours, or engage in a participatory approach that would open the way to launching a restoration or reconstruction project at the heart of the El Badi site in a city that cruelly lacks high-profile places to show its visitors?

The debate, in which several architects responsible for restoration projects in the Medina as well as intellectuals, Ulema, and members of the Al Muniya literary diwan took part, focused on the interest of the Medina of Marrakech as a world heritage site and its Jemaa el-Fna square as oral heritage of humanity.