HM the King Chairs Presentation Ceremony of Restored Madrasas Rehabilitation Program in Fez
PERSISMA, Fez – HM King Mohammed VI, Commander of the Faithful, chaired, on Tuesday at the Qarawiyyin library in Fez, the presentation ceremony of the program of rehabilitation of the old Medersas of Fez, after their restoration and opening in order to accommodate students and teachers of the Qarawiyyin University.
On this occasion, minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, Ahmed Toufiq, delivered a speech before the Sovereign in which he pointed out that in implementation of the Royal guidelines for the accommodation of students of the Al Qarawiyyin University in these Medersas (religious school or college for the study of the Islamic religion), students were accommodated in three Medersas, namely the Mohammedia, the Seffarine and the Bouaanania.
The accommodation capacity of these Medersas reached 105 beds, added the minister. As part of efforts to enable the Qarawiyyin University to reconnect with its authentic curriculum, namely in terms of programs’ relevance, scientific competitiveness at national and international level, and the objectives defined by the Dahir (degree) on the restructuring of the institution, a new cycle was also created that was approved by HM the King, namely the Upper Alimiya cycle,” he said. On this occasion, Toufiq recalled the opening of the house of the “Moaqquit”, one of the restored historical monuments.
For his part, director-general of the Agency for the Development and Rehabilitation of the Medina of Fez (ADER), Fouad Serrhini, gave a presentation on the operations of restoration of the old Medersas of the medina of Fez, considered as an integrated model of the Arab-Islamic and Mediterranean city. Recalling the fact that the Kingdom of Morocco was one of the first countries to ratify the 1972 Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, Serrhini said that the richness and diversity of the historical heritage of the Medina of Fez, which is home to more than 30,000 artisans, have enabled this city to be the first Moroccan site classified as a World Heritage in 1981.
He added that the message addressed by HM King Mohammed VI to the participants at the 23rd session of the World Heritage Committee, held in November 1999 in Marrakech, and the one addressed by the Sovereign on the occasion of the launch of the ceremonies marking the 1200th anniversary of the founding of the city of Fez, have constituted, for many specialists, a roadmap and a plan of action for the promotion and development of the historical fabric of the city. The royal commitment towards the academic and spiritual capital of Morocco and its heritage has been illustrated through the program of restoration of 27 historic monuments, Serrhini added. Subsequently, HM the King decorated several personalities who participated in the achievement of the rehabilitation program of the monuments of the old medina of Fez, launched by the Sovereign on March 04th, 2013.
The Sovereign granted the Wissam of Al Moukafaa Al Wataniya 2nd Class (Commander) to Moha Ouaman, secretary general of the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, and the Wissam of Al Moukafaa Al Wathania 3rd Class (Officer) to Mohamed El Gourari, former director of the Waqfs at the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, Abdelhadi Rziki, head of the construction and investment division at the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, Mohamed Khamlichi, head of the internal affairs division at the Wilaya of Fez-Meknes region, Houcine Lotfi, head of the Fez-Medina urban district, Fouad Serrhini, director general of the Agency for the Development and Rehabilitation of the Medina of Fez.
HM the King also decorated with Wissam Al Moukafaa Al Wathania 4th Class (knight) several other officials, notably architects Mohamed Amziane, Mohamed Amrani Abou Rouh and Abdelfattah Lazrek. On this occasion, HM the King visited the Medersa Mohammadia, built by the late King Mohammed V, the Medersas built at the time of the merinids, namely Seffarine (dedicated to the teaching of the social and human sciences) and Mesbahiya, as well as the Sahrij Medersa.
The Sovereign also visited Dar Al Mouaqqit, which serves both as an observatory for a scholar astronomer in charge of observing the lunar crescent and the establishment of prayer schedules, and a museum where exhibited ancient Moroccan and Arab astronomical instruments.
These buildings, which were reopened after their restoration, reinforce the religious status enjoyed by Fez as the academic and spiritual capital of Morocco. They also enrich the material and immaterial heritage of the Kingdom.
The ceremony was attended by director-general of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Irina Bokova, director-general of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri, HM the King’s advisors, members of the government, and several high-ranking officials.
