Publications
Building an Ontology for the Tangible Cultural Heritage of the Medina of Fez
A groundbreaking ontology, MedinaOnto, has been developed to model the tangible cultural heritage of the Medina of Fez. This semantic framework integrates social, geospatial, and historical dimensions, enabling robust semantic reasoning and effective data querying. Built upon established standards like CIDOC-CRM, FOAF, and GEOSPARQL, MedinaOnto leverages structured data from open sources such as Wikidata and DBpedia to represent a wide range of heritage entities, including monuments and culturally significant spaces. The ontology was rigorously evaluated through logical consistency tests, scenario-based validation, and SPARQL queries, confirming its scalability and reusability for both public and heritage professionals. This innovative approach offers new avenues for the valorization, mediation, and research of cultural heritage.
Hydrography as a guide to reading the urban form of the Medina of Fez
Hydrography has been a pivotal factor in shaping the urban form and evolution of Fez’s Medina, demonstrating its profound influence on spatial organization, socio-economic structures, and cultural practices from the Idrisid period to contemporary times. This study reveals that water management systems have not only facilitated but also constrained urban development, illustrating a dynamic interplay between environmental adaptation and resilience. By analyzing hydrological transformations over centuries, the research underscores how Fez’s urban landscape has responded to environmental and sociopolitical changes, offering insights into the adaptability of historic cities.
Cultural heritage tourism and urban regeneration: The case of Fez Medina in Morocco
Urban regeneration in historic cities, such as Fez Medina in Morocco, can achieve economic and social sustainability without displacing local communities. The 'Ziyarates Fez' project demonstrates an innovative approach to rehabilitating traditional houses for tourism while preserving their original occupants. This study highlights how previous strategies, focused on physical development and riad hotels, exacerbated gentrification and socioeconomic stratification. By employing a mixed-method approach—including desk research, content analysis, fieldwork, observations, and qualitative interviews—the research identifies holistic regeneration strategies that balance conservation with modern needs. These findings contribute to global efforts in sustainable urban regeneration, offering actionable insights for policymakers and researchers.
“Soukinage” Practices in The Medina of Fez in The Light of Consumer Culture Theory
Moroccan consumers' attachment to traditional trade in the Medina of Fez is driven by five key dimensions: seller trust, religiosity, nostalgia, orality, and mutual knowledge. Despite the rise of modern distribution systems, these factors continue to influence shopping behaviors, as revealed through an ethnographic study. The research highlights how cultural values and social relationships sustain traditional commerce in historic urban settings like Fez's medina.
The Craft Production System in Morocco, Especially in the Medina of Fez.
Morocco's craft sector, particularly within the historic Medina of Fez, faces significant challenges in production and management. This study identifies critical strengths and weaknesses in local craft enterprises, aiming to enhance their performance through systematic analysis. By examining current operational practices, researchers seek to provide actionable insights for sustainable development. The approach involves a detailed assessment of craft units' conduct and management, offering a roadmap for improvement in both traditional and modern production systems.
Experimentation of visual augmented reality for visiting the historical monuments of the medina of Fez
A prototype Android mobile application leveraging visual augmented reality (AR) was successfully developed to enhance the tourist experience at the Medina of Fez. The application serves as an interactive pocket guide, overlaying digital information onto the physical environment to provide richer historical context for visitors. By integrating multiple software and hardware technologies, AR transforms the way users perceive and engage with historical monuments. The prototype's adaptability—achieved by simply replacing its database—demonstrates potential for broader application across other cities, making it a scalable solution for heritage tourism. This study highlights the transformative impact of AR in cultural preservation and visitor engagement.
Determination of endoglucanase activity of paper decaying fungi from an old library at the ancient Medina of Fez
Research on paper decaying fungi from the ancient library of Fez, Morocco, reveals that all tested isolates exhibit cellulase, amylase, pectinase, and ligninase activities. Notably, Mucor racemosus PF15, Aspergillus niger, and Aspergillus oryzae demonstrated the highest endoglucanase activity (0.256, 0.236, and 0.216 UI/mL, respectively) after six days in liquid medium at 25°C. Optimal enzyme production occurred at pH 5–6 and temperatures of 25–30°C, providing critical insights into the biodeterioration mechanisms affecting historical paper in UNESCO World Heritage Sites like Fez's Medina.
Cellulolytic potential and filter paper activity of fungi isolated from ancients manuscripts from the Medina of Fez
Fungi isolated from ancient manuscripts in the Medina of Fez exhibit significant cellulolytic activity, posing a threat to historical paper. Nine out of 31 filamentous fungi demonstrated the ability to degrade carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) and produce filter paper activity (FPUase), with varying effectiveness depending on temperature and pH. The most prevalent species included Penicillium chrysogenum, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus oryzae, and Mucor racemosus, while others like Hypocrea lixii, Aspergillus melleus, and Schizophyllum commune were less common. Long-term experiments showed these fungi could degrade filter paper at 25°C, highlighting their destructive potential on cultural heritage materials.
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