The 4th edition of the International Forum of Ancient Cities opened on Wednesday evening in Ouazzane, under the theme "Ancient cities, crossroads of civilisations and space dedicated to spiritual tourism", at the initiative of the Mediterranean Network of Ancient Cities.
Speaking on this occasion, the Minister of Culture, Mohamed Amine Sbihi, stressed that Morocco is fully aware of the importance of highlighting ancient cities, the need to take advantage of intangible heritage, and the promotion of a serious and sincere intercultural dialogue both at the regional and international levels regarding the problems and challenges faced by ancient cities.
The Kingdom has for several years granted particular interest to intangible capital as an essential component of Moroccan civilisation for its richness and cultural and civilisational diversity and for the preservation of universal heritage in general, noting that Morocco is working to find the best ways for an appropriate exploitation of all components of this heritage, including ancient cities, the goal being to integrate this rich and secular civilisational capital into the Moroccan model of sustainable development.
The Moroccan strategy in this matter is based on two main axes, namely the preservation of the national collective memory by highlighting its richness and diversity, and the integration of heritage within the "heritage economy", so as to boost cultural tourism and promote the service economy linked to heritage, indicated the Minister.
For his part, the Minister of Tourism, Lahcen Haddad, indicated that Morocco is among the countries that have been able to preserve their civilisational heritage, and more particularly the ancient cities, which constitute an inexhaustible source of culture and secular traditions and a living memory capable of contributing to the strengthening of national tourism competitiveness and conveying a radiant image of a Morocco as a crossroads of civilisations and cultures and a land of tolerance and cohabitation, generosity, and stability.
He added that ancient cities "challenge us as history, memory, and pilot cultural spaces to preserve civilisational heritage, its rehabilitation, and its enhancement.
For his part, the Director General of the Agency for the Promotion and Development of the Prefectures and Provinces of the North, Mounir El Bouyoussfi, noted that this event is of great importance given the quality of the participating experts and researchers, noting that the forum also constitutes an opportunity to reflect on the role of spiritual heritage in achieving the sustainable development of ancient cities in the north of the Kingdom, just as it will allow for deepening the debate and exchange of views on the best approaches to adopt in this field.
Global and balanced sustainable development requires the implementation of a proactive participatory policy based on the inseparability of cultural, social, ecological, economic, and spiritual dimensions, indicated Mr. Bouyousfi, noting that the preservation of spiritual heritage and its enhancement requires the mobilisation of all potential and the orientation of all efforts towards a space whose provinces and prefectures share the same historical ties and face the same development challenges.
In turn, the President of the Mediterranean Network of Ancient Cities, Mohamed Sefiani, assured that this meeting, organised with the support of the General Directorate of Local Authorities, the Wilaya of the Tangier-Tetouan region, and institutional partners, aims to value material and intangible heritage, and human capital, as a main tool to promote local development, strengthen the exemplarity of the Moroccan approach in terms of religious affairs management, and support the dialogue of civilisations and tolerance between peoples.
He stressed that the choice of the city of Ouazzane to host this event, previously organised in Chefchaouen, Tetouan, and Tangier, is explained by the distinguished spiritual character of this city and the civilisational and cultural potentials it contains, which reflect the richness of Moroccan civilisational heritage in all its components, in addition to its significant potential dedicated to the promotion of spiritual tourism and its role in spreading the concepts of coexistence and tolerance between peoples and civilisations.
The programme of this edition includes the presentation of successful experiences in the preservation of spiritual and cultural heritage, and the highlighting of actions aimed at integrating civil society into the local development process, through participation in reflection, programming, and monitoring of the implementation of development projects, in order to improve the standard of living of citizens.
