Morocco and the United Arab Emirates collaborate to preserve Hassani culture
- Oral tradition
- The music of the Sahara
- Moussem of Tan-Tan
- Heritage and cultural legacy
- Gnawa, Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
Morocco has three development agencies: those of the southern, eastern and northern provinces. These are institutions whose mission is to implement different projects with the aim of contributing to the promotion and economic, social and cultural development of the area.
The 43rd edition of the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF), which closed last Sunday, had Morocco as its guest of honour. At its stand, the Agency for the Development of the Southern Provinces, which extends from Laayoune to Dakhla, had a special role. In this space, thanks to the Moroccan Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication, this Agency presented some of the main initiatives carried out in the cultural field, including the preservation of Hassani culture, an interesting project that also has the collaboration of the Arab Emirates, explained Wahiba Kantaoui, head of Territorial Marketing, to Atalayar.
Oral tradition
In the past, the Berber tribes in this region used to live a nomadic life, but over time they adapted to life's circumstances. But their traditions are still very much alive, thanks to the efforts of the Agency for the Development of the Southern Provinces to contribute to this.
The Hassani culture, of Arab Bedouin origin, says Kantaoui, is mainly oral, which is why the Agency is supporting its recovery with the aim of ensuring that the passage of time does not erase this popular tradition. Several books have been published in which these traditions are explored in depth. These books are of great quality, in colour, in large format and with impressive photographs.
The Arab Emirates, a country with which they have a close collaboration, as well as other organisations specialised in the study of Moroccan culture based in Rabat, also contribute to this endeavour. As a result of the research and work carried out, the following books have been published.
The music of the Sahara
Hassani music. A Journey to the Heart of the Moroccan Sahara by Ahmed Aydoun is one example. This Berber music has its own characteristics, which make it very difficult, with specific codes and a long tradition. ‘It is a music similar to that found in other African areas, but with its own codes’, says Kantaoui.
Another of the books on display is by the director of the Moroccan Archive, says the head of marketing at the Development Agency, which contains very valuable manuscripts and shows the relationship that existed between the indigenous tribes of the Sahara many centuries ago.
The traditional dress of the women of this area, the melfa, ‘which has been worn for centuries and is transgenerational’, is another of the publications, as well as tea, which is much more than a drink, ‘it is a great ceremony, something spiritual, very present in Saharawi society’, explained Kantaoui. Tea is always present at social gatherings, and it was also present at the Moroccan stand.
Moussem of Tan-Tan
The Moussem of Tan-Tan has also been a source of study and research. The publication on display at the stand is of great beauty. In the past, the nomadic peoples of the Sahara met to strengthen relations, exchange foodstuffs, animals such as camels or even agree on marriages. Today, this event is held in the town of the same name in the Guelmim-Rio Noun region, 25 km from the Atlantic coast. It is a real cultural fair where ancient local traditions are on display, where there is poetry, crafts, folklore of the nomadic tribes, equestrian art... ‘It has been a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2024,’ Kantaoui says with emotion.
Oral literature, mainly stories and poetry, are also part of this popular culture. The Agency for the Development of the Southern Provinces is launching a prize for Hassani literature to motivate the people of the area to write. The agency is also helping poets and writers to publish their works and make them known, says Kantaoui.
And if writing is important, so is reading. Another project launched in the south of Morocco is the organisation of 30 reading points, reaching even the smallest and most remote villages in order to motivate students and children to enjoy reading.
Showing these books and the main information on the southern provinces ‘is a great honour,’ said Wahiba Kantaoui, ‘because we are working hard and it is a great opportunity to let people know what we do, what these provinces are and who the people of southern Morocco are’.
Heritage and cultural legacy
The Moroccan stand at the SIBF fused modernity with the past, with tradition. While new technologies through the projection of videos and digital images gave colour and showed the great cultural and heritage legacy of its cities, the different corners housed real gems such as publications and historical documents, including maps and manuscripts of two important geographers of the Middle Ages: Ibn Battura from Tangiers and Al-Idrisi from Ceuta.
The Foundation for the Safeguarding of Rabat's Cultural Heritage, chaired by Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Hasnaa, was also present at the fair. One of its aims is to preserve the tangible, intangible and landscape heritage of Rabat, which is why it carries out various activities to raise awareness among the population, as well as school initiatives to teach and highlight the importance of the city's heritage.
Visitors were able to see for the first time a replica of the oldest Homo sapiens skull in the world, discovered in 2017 by Jebel Irhoud in this country. As well as a copy of the oldest jewel, a necklace found in the cave of Bizmoun, near the city of Essaouira in central western Morocco.
Gnawa, Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
Morocco was the guest of honour and responded in style. It organised more than a hundred cultural activities, showed the traditional dances of its various regions, such as the Gnawa dance, declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, theatre, cinema, invited renowned Moroccan historians, researchers and writers who took part in various debates and panels on a variety of subjects ranging from the historical link between Andalusia and Morocco, to the freedom to write or the Arabic language... Among others, Mohamed Achaari, winner of the International Booker Prize for Arabic Fiction; Abdessalam Benabdelali, winner of the Sultan al-Owais Prize for Human Studies; the sociologist Rahma Bourqia; and the poet Latifa Miftah. And, of course, there was no shortage of booksellers and author signings. A total of 25 publishers from the Kingdom of Morocco presented the public with a varied offer of 4,000 titles.
The 49th edition of the SIBF, under the slogan ‘Everything begins with a book’, closed its doors on Sunday 17 November after 12 interesting days in which around 1,400 activities were held. Ahmed al-Ameri, executive director of the Sharjah Book Authority, expressed his satisfaction with the development of this cultural event, the most important in the Arab world: ‘With 1.82 million visitors and more than 2,500 publishers and exhibitors from all over the world, the event has grown from a book fair to a dynamic and thriving literary community’.