Publications
Dar’s Data: A Collaborative AI-Driven Framework for the Preservation and Generative Reinterpretation of Vernacular Heritage : Case Study of the Medina of Fez
A novel AI-driven framework, 'Dar’s Data,' demonstrates the potential to revolutionize the preservation and reinterpretation of vernacular heritage by integrating low-cost photogrammetry, 360° immersive visualization, and participatory sourcing. This approach goes beyond traditional static archiving, capturing the dynamic socio-architectural essence of living heritage sites like the Medina of Fez. The framework introduces 'heritage projection' through two modules: F’Darna, a gamified environment for intergenerational knowledge transmission, and Dar Ghdda, an AI-driven generative design concept that adapts traditional morphological rules for contemporary sustainable construction. A pilot implementation at Dar Seffarine validates the feasibility of this hybrid workflow, highlighting its potential to bridge historical documentation with future urban resilience.
Funduqs in Fez: the Last Transformation of Urban Caravanserais
Urban caravanserais, known for their resilience and adaptability, have undergone significant transformations in the Moroccan medina of Fez. The study reveals that funduqs, a type of urban caravanserai, have evolved both architecturally and socially, integrating into the urban fabric while preserving their genetic elements like souks. This evolution has revitalized medinas but also poses challenges to authenticity, community life, and intangible heritage preservation. The research explores Berber medina's character, outlines different funduq typologies in Fez, and analyzes sustainable rehabilitation options. It concludes with action lines for integral restoration, balancing tradition and modernity.
Between Development and Marginalization: Relocating the Craftsmanship from the Old Medina of Fez to the Peripheral Neighborhood of Ain Nokbi
Relocating brass artisans from the historic Medina of Fez to the peripheral neighborhood of Ain Nokbi, intended as part of a broader sustainable development initiative, has inadvertently exacerbated vulnerabilities for these craftsmen. The study reveals that while the move aimed to reduce pollution and improve working conditions, it has led to spatial marginalization, economic precarity, and cultural displacement. Through semi-structured interviews, researchers found that artisans in Ain Nokbi face significant challenges, including isolation from Fez's historic fabric and economic instability, undermining the project's goals of heritage preservation and Medina attractivity.
Bioclimatic assessment and thermal comfort of traditional Riads in Fez Medina
Traditional Moroccan Riads in Fez Medina demonstrate remarkable resilience to climate variability, significantly reducing indoor thermal discomfort from over 80% to nearly 10–12% through passive bioclimatic design. The study reveals that courtyard configurations and high-thermal-inertia materials like rammed earth walls—with a 12-hour thermal lag—effectively mitigate heat swings while meeting Moroccan thermal regulation standards for U-values. By integrating Mahoney Tables, Givoni’s psychrometric chart, operative temperature, PMV–PPD indices, and ASHRAE 55/ISO 7730 simulations, researchers quantified the benefits of envelope optimization in enhancing thermal comfort. These findings underscore the potential of adaptive reuse for sustainable thermal engineering, positioning Riads as exemplary models for climate-adaptive architecture.
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.
Consumption practices in the medina of Fez : a complement for CCTs
Moroccan consumers in the medina of Fez maintain strong attachment to traditional trade despite modern distribution options, driven by five key dimensions: seller’s trust, religiosity, nostalgia, orality, and mutual knowledge. This exploratory study employed an ethnographic approach to uncover these motivations, revealing how cultural and social factors shape consumption behaviors in historic urban settings like the UNESCO-listed Medina of Fez.
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.
Adaptation of Traditional Construction Methods for a Sustainable Transition of the Dwelling (Case of Riads in Fez and Hanoks in Seoul)
A balanced approach to adapting traditional dwellings for modern needs can preserve cultural heritage while enhancing sustainability. This study identifies key similarities between Moroccan riads and Korean hanoks, focusing on construction methods and spatial arrangements that integrate green technology and natural materials. By analyzing behavioral, technical, and contextual factors, researchers propose a systemic comparative method to guide the rehabilitation of riads in Fez's medina, addressing material degradation and ensuring habitability without compromising traditional design legitimacy. The findings highlight the potential for adaptive reuse, offering a model for sustainable development that respects historical integrity while meeting contemporary demands.
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.
Digital Journey Through Fez's Historic Medina
Digital technologies significantly enhance sustainable tourism and cultural heritage preservation in the historic Medina of Fez. A mixed-methods study combining literature review, stakeholder interviews, and online review analysis reveals that platforms like augmented reality (AR) and AI-powered guides deepen visitor engagement while fostering responsible tourism practices. These tools provide immersive, personalized experiences that strengthen connections to Fez's rich history, supporting both conservation efforts and the tourism sector. The findings underscore the potential of digital interventions to balance heritage preservation with modern tourism demands.
Fez: Embracing sustainable tourism through tradition and innovation
Fez's medina exemplifies the delicate balance between preserving cultural heritage and adopting sustainable tourism practices. This study highlights Fez as a model for integrating tradition with innovation to address contemporary environmental and societal challenges. It analyzes strategies for managing visitor influx while respecting urban and natural environments, examining technological and organizational innovations such as waste management, water conservation, renewable energy, and digital services. The research also underscores the importance of community engagement and participatory governance in creating a mutually beneficial tourism experience. By showcasing Fez's sustainable practices, this work offers valuable insights for other heritage destinations worldwide, emphasizing the potential of tradition and innovation to drive responsible tourism.
Quando a escola é uma opção - relação com a escola e relação com os saberes em Marrocos
In Morocco, particularly within the historic Medina of Fez, non-formally educated individuals often achieve equivalent social and professional status to their school-educated peers. This challenges the perceived necessity of formal schooling in low-income contexts, where its utility is frequently debated. The study reveals that those who bypassed traditional education rely on local learning systems for knowledge acquisition, suggesting alternative pathways to societal integration. Rather than mere survival, this dynamic may reflect broader transformations in how knowledge and social mobility are conceptualized.
Rethinking World Heritage Cities preservation: A critical re-exploration of the Medina of Fez
Heritage preservation efforts, while aiming to safeguard cultural significance, can inadvertently perpetuate colonial legacies and socio-economic challenges in African urban settings. A critical re-examination of the Medina of Fez, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1972, reveals how such paradigms may hinder sustainable urban development. This study proposes an alternative methodology that integrates historical preservation with modern livability, offering a model for balancing cultural heritage and contemporary needs in post-colonial cities.
“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.
Spatial Imaginaries “from the Ground”: Framing Fez’s Medina Contemporary Identity
Fez’s medina, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981, has undergone significant transformations shaped by tourism development and urban rehabilitation efforts. This study reveals that the medina's contemporary identity is formed through competing yet complementary spatial imaginaries, driven by diverse local and international actors. These imaginaries, emerging from daily practices and initiatives, redefine the medina’s role as both a tourist destination and a lived urban environment. The research qualitatively analyzes these transformations, offering insights into the conditions that foster new spatial narratives in Morocco's historical medinas. Such findings contribute to broader debates on heritage preservation and local identity reinvention.
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.
The Great Mosque of Fez Al-Jedid from the Marinid era (677 AH / 1278 AD) an archaeological historical study
The Great Mosque of Fez Al-Jedid, constructed during the Marinid era (677 AH / 1278 AD), stands as a significant historical and architectural landmark. This mosque, initially built for Sultan Abu Yusef Yaqoub bin Abdul Haq, served as the primary royal mosque for subsequent Marinid sultans and remains a site of religious and political importance, even being used by the current Moroccan ruler during visits to Medina New Fez. The study highlights its unique T-shaped design, characterized by three corridors surrounding a courtyard, with side porticos leading to the main iwan (Qibla) for winter use. Additionally, it features notable archaeological elements such as a mausoleum, the Jinzi Mosque, and the Einza, preserving Marinid-era heritage. The mosque's historical value is further underscored by its association with the royal palace of the new city and its enduring role in Marinid architecture.
Ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants used in the treatment of kidney stones in Region of Fez-Meknes, Morocco
A comprehensive ethnobotanical survey in the Fez-Meknes region of Morocco identified 54 medicinal plant species, predominantly from the Apiaceae family, used traditionally for treating kidney stones. The study, conducted between 2015 and 2017, involved 380 participants, including herbal healers, and documented preparation methods like decoctions from aerial parts. Notable plants included Herniaria hirsuta, Zea mays, and Opuntia ficus-indica. The findings highlight the potential of these plants for pharmacological applications, offering insights into natural remedies with active molecules that could advance kidney stone treatment research.
The Islamic Influence on Built Environment in Ancient Islamic Cities: A Descriptive-Analytic Study
Fez's Medina embodies the profound influence of Islamic legal systems on urban architecture. A study reveals that Fiqh Al-Maliki, a branch of Islamic jurisprudence, played a pivotal role in shaping the built environment of ancient Islamic cities, including Fez, by establishing a legally and systematically framed framework. This research highlights how such frameworks not only contributed to the formation of these cities but also offer potential for modern applications, such as scientific interpretation for tourist guidance. The study employed a descriptive-analytic methodology to analyze legal opinions and explore the relationship between Islamic architecture and Fiqh Al-Maliki, underscoring the historical wealth and cultural significance embedded in these ancient urban landscapes.
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.
You are here:
World Heritage Explorer > World Heritage Research > World Heritage Sites > Medina of Fez