On Monday, April 18, International Monuments and Sites Day 2022, eight of Rabat’s UNESCO-listed World Heritage Sites hosted visiting Rabat high school classes, assisted by heritage professionals: archaeologists, architects, site curators, and historical monuments inspectors. The event was the highlight of the “I discover my heritage” program organized by the Foundation for the Safeguarding of Cultural Heritage of Rabat, chaired by HRH Princess Lalla Hasnaa, in partnership with the Ministry of National Education, Preschool and Sports, the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication, UNESCO and the World Heritage Centre.
From April 12 to 29, at a rate of four schools per day in as many sites, 3720 students from 62 schools in Rabat, Salé and Témara, are set to discover the city’s World Heritage sites: the Almohad ramparts and gates, the Oudaïa Qasba, the Medina, the archaeological site of Chellah, the Habous district of Diour Jamaâ, the New City, the botanical gardens and the Hassan Mosque.
The Foundation for the Safeguarding of Rabat’s Cultural Heritage is keen on promoting the city’s monumental historical legacy to its inhabitants, particularly its youth, on International Monuments and Sites Day and during Heritage Month.
It therefore runs this heritage education and awareness operation building on partner know-how and expertise to make heritage accessible to all.
“I discover my heritage” program implementation started by contextualizing the UNESCO kit to local culture and its many representations in archaeology, urban planning, architecture and nature while also introducing concepts of modern heritage and world heritage.
Activities included in the educational kit made available to teachers and students are eclectic, designed to stimulate young people’s imagination and enable them to discover and construct their own perception of cultural heritage.
The Foundation for the Safeguarding of Rabat’s Cultural Heritage
the dynamics developped by His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist him, for the conservation and the development of the cultural heritage and this, throughout the Kingdom.
Placed under the Effective Presidency of Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Hasnaa, the Foundation for the Safeguarding of the Cultural Heritage of Rabat follows this path.
The Foundation for the Safeguarding of the Cultural Heritage of Rabat was created as a result of the inclusion of “Rabat, Modern Capital and Historic City” : Shared Heritage” on UNESCO’s World Heritage list.
The world heritage of the city of Rabat, classified in 2012, consists of an area of 348 ha which attests to the universal and exceptional value of this city. Indeed, its current profile is the result of a unique and fruitful dialogue which combines a heritage shared between several great cultures of human history: the ancient, Islamic, Hispano-Maghrebian and European past.
The Foundation’s mission is to educate and raise awareness of the importance of safeguarding the cultural heritage of Rabat in order to enable people to benefit from it today and to pass it on to future generations.
The Foundation brings together all the stakeholders and catalyzes the efforts of the actors in terms of safeguarding and promoting the cultural heritage of Rabat, in a participatory approach that integrates institutions, civil society, international organizations, experts and any other actor concerned.
The Foundation works to transmit the historical, architectural, artistic, landscape, material and immaterial values of the cultural heritage of Rabat.
