Monday, July 1, 2024 at 10:43 PM
Tan-Tan – Moroccan and African researchers met on Sunday in Tan-Tan for an international conference on the theme: “The Moussem of Tan-Tan and the African depth of Hassani culture”, organized by the Almouggar Foundation as part of the activities of the 17th edition of the Moussem of Tan-Tan (June 26-30).
This symposium, led by experts and researchers in history and heritage from Morocco, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, aims to emphasize the African depth of Hassani culture through several cultural, social and anthropological aspects, and to highlight the central role that the Tan-Tan moussem has played for decades as a cultural, economic and social meeting point.
According to the organizers of this conference, the Tan-Tan moussem played an important role in promoting social and economic links between the two banks of the Greater Sahara, which contributed to the spread of Hassani culture with its cultural and religious dimension over a large region of the Sahara.
The Director of Cultural Heritage at the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication (Culture Sector), Mustapha Jellouki, highlighted, in a speech on “Moroccan intangible cultural heritage: assessment and perspectives”, the efforts undertaken by the ministry since the adoption of the UNESCO convention in 2003 on the preservation of intangible heritage, which Morocco ratified in 2006, in order to safeguard the rich intangible cultural heritage of the Kingdom.
He spoke about the achievements of the ministry, in particular the 14 sites registered on the UNESCO lists including the Moussem of Tan-Tan and the Jemaa El Fna square, noting that on all these sites, there is only one element of heritage that requires urgent preservation, namely the “Taskiouine” dance of the Great Atlas Mountains.
He also discussed the challenges and issues related to the inclusion of these elements on the UNESCO heritage list, including intellectual property.
For his part, Ahmed Ould Ahdana, researcher in Hassani culture (Mauritania), stressed the importance of Hassani music as African music that was born on the African continent alongside its Hassani Arab origins, reviewing some characteristics of the continental belonging of this music.
The Moussem of Tan-Tan, inscribed by UNESCO in 2008 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, is a flagship event that brings together around thirty nomadic tribes who meet, exchange and preserve their cultural heritage, notably through music, dance, crafts and traditional rites.
The program of this 17th edition offers an immersive experience of nomadic culture with captivating traditional shows, poetry evenings, demonstrations of authentic crafts, Tbourida, dromedary races and heritage exhibitions that are planned throughout the event, highlighting the living heritage of the region.
