Friday, June 28, 2024 at 10:59 p.m.
Aghmat (Al Haouz province) – The Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication, Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, made, on Friday, a field visit to several historical sites affected by the earthquake of September 8 in the province of Al Haouz and the prefecture of Marrakech.
During this visit, Mr. Bensaid inquired about the progress of the restoration work on these historic sites.
At the archaeological site of Aghmat, located in the territory of the province of Al Haouz, exhaustive explanations were provided to Mr. Bensaid, on the rehabilitation project of this historic site, which houses the Al-Mutamid Ibn mausoleum Abbad.
This project aims to improve the tourist attractiveness of this site, through the implementation of a specific program within the framework of the animation of historic sites and monuments.
In the city of Marrakech, Mr. Bensaid learned about the progress of restoration work on historical monuments damaged by the earthquake, including the Bahia and Badii Palaces, the Saadian Tombs and the ramparts of the old medina at Bab Doukkala and Bab El Khmis, where work is progressing at a steady pace.
This visit is part of the monitoring of this major project, in accordance with the High Instructions of His Majesty King Mohammed VI.
In a statement to the press, Mr. Bensaid stressed that HM the King gave His High Instructions to the government, immediately after the earthquake, to manage the situation intelligently and interact with the concerns of citizens, including in the area of heritage restoration.
“After months of discussions and studies carried out for this purpose, we will launch the restoration work of several damaged historical monuments, including the archaeological site of Aghmat,” he said, indicating that the restoration work of this site and other historical monuments in various areas affected by the earthquake is likely to give new vitality to these sites so that they become a source of income for the inhabitants of rural areas and the affected areas.
Mr. Bensaïd’s visit also concerned the different spaces of the Bahia and Badii Palaces. On this occasion, the minister took note of the tourist dynamics in these sites, which experience a significant influx of visitors.
It should be noted that the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication, as part of its strategy aimed at preserving and promoting cultural heritage, has set up ad-hoc committees responsible for monitoring the work of restoration and rehabilitation of historical monuments and archaeological sites affected by the Al Haouz earthquake.
