Publications
From Inscription to Implementation: Practical Approaches to Heritage Valorization in the Maghreb
UNESCO World Heritage inscription has not consistently delivered on its promise of sustainable heritage management, as shown by contrasting outcomes in the medinas of Fes and Tunis. While Fes benefited from centralized governance and large-scale restoration through ADER-Fès, leading to international visibility but at the cost of limited community involvement and tourism-driven development, Tunis lacked institutional continuity yet saw vibrant civic initiatives that, however, suffered from a lack of integrated planning. The study proposes a practice-oriented framework for post-inscription heritage governance, emphasizing binding strategies, urban integration, balanced institutional design, community co-governance, diversified financing, and systematic monitoring to ensure sustainable and inclusive heritage management.
Geographies of Heritage Authenticity: Spatial Interaction, Narrative Performance and Emotional Attachment at Medina of Tunis
Heritage authenticity at UNESCO World Heritage Sites is not solely tied to monuments but is dynamically shaped by spatial interactions, narrative exchanges, and emotional experiences. A study of the Medina of Tunis during the 'Medina of Lights' festival (2025) revealed that the medina's physical layout—such as narrow streets and landmarks like Zitouna Mosque—guides visitor perceptions, while resident narratives, when delivered with cultural sincerity, enhance authenticity even if adapted for tourists. Sensory-rich festival experiences further foster emotional attachments, turning some visitors into heritage advocates. The research, based on qualitative interviews with 25 international tourists from 12 countries, used thematic analysis to identify these key themes, offering insights for scholars and tourism planners on preserving and strengthening heritage authenticity through resident engagement and genuine cultural exchange.
Outside the Discipline, Inside the Data: A Retrospective Account of an Undocumented Tunisian Language Corpus in an Extractivist Research Context
A previously undocumented corpus of Tunisian language interviews, collected during a five-day fieldwork period in 2022, has been retroactively deposited and made reusable. This corpus—comprising 152 structured interviews with residents of the Medina of Tunis buffer zone—was unintentionally generated by an architect researcher working outside traditional linguistics or data science disciplines. The interviews were conducted, transcribed in Tunisian, and translated into French but lacked formal documentation, deposition, or citation as a dataset. Now archived on Zenodo, this work serves as both a case study of extractive research practices and a cautionary account for humanities and built-environment researchers who may inadvertently collect valuable linguistic data without recognizing its potential for broader reuse.
Community-driven hospitality: a boutique hotel’s model for sustainable growth
A boutique hotel in the Medina of Tunis demonstrates that sustainable hospitality can drive both profitability and community revitalization by integrating local hiring, informal supplier sourcing, and immersive cultural programming. This model, rooted in heritage tourism, reinvests profits locally while fostering guest engagement and staff retention. Unlike top-down industry standards, this approach emerges from within informal economies and preservation efforts, offering actionable strategies for boutique hotels in culturally rich or under-resourced urban areas. The study, based on fieldwork and practitioner collaboration, provides real-world guidance to balance profit with place-based impact.
Cooler Desert Cities - 2505
A groundbreaking progress report on the 'Cooler Desert Cities' project reveals design strategies that significantly contribute to low-emission, low-energy comfort in desert urban environments. The study, focusing on case analyses of El Bali (Fez, Morocco) and Tunis Medina (Tunisia), identifies key architectural and urban planning principles that enhance thermal comfort while reducing energy demands. These insights are crucial for developing the 'Cooler-Shaper Tool' (CST), a proposed tool aimed at guiding sustainable urban development in desert regions. The research integrates case study analysis with conference presentations, including a paper on the project's findings, to advance the field of low-energy urban design in arid climates.
Cultural revitalization and tourist conversion of historical monuments: The cases of the ancient medinas of Fez and Tunis
A strategic approach to cultural revitalization and economic development is successfully applied in the UNESCO-listed medinas of Fez and Tunis, demonstrating that repurposing vacant historical buildings preserves architectural integrity while injecting contemporary functions into heritage sites. This method avoids the pitfalls of constructing new structures, instead breathing life into underused spaces such as mosques, mausoleums, madrasas, and traditional houses—key components of these medinas' cultural and artisanal appeal. The study highlights significant investments in heritage rehabilitation, proving that such initiatives can sustainably develop historic centers while maintaining their authenticity.
Exploring the Hidden Dimension in the Islamic Architecture: The Medina of Tunis as a Study Case
The Medina of Tunis embodies a hidden dimension where mythological, sacred, ritual, and legendary elements shape living spaces and practices. This study reveals how cosmogony, the imaginary, and hidden dimensions influence urban and architectural design, acting as mirrors reflecting worldviews. By focusing on auto-centric processes—where inhabitant practices and representation systems interact—the research uncovers an unsuspected facet of Islamic architecture's lived experiences. The approach combines field survey with analysis of symbolic and spatial relationships, offering a nuanced understanding of how these intangible forces structure urban landscapes.
Participatory Heritage Documentation: Low-cost Photogrammetry of Decayed Historic Buildings in the Medina of Tunis
Low-cost, community-led photogrammetry emerges as a viable tool for documenting and assessing the condition of decayed historic buildings in resource-limited settings. A collaborative effort between local civil society and academic partners successfully applied image-based photogrammetry to Fondok El Henna, an abandoned caravanserai in the UNESCO-listed Medina of Tunis, identifying key agents of deterioration such as water ingress, biological growth, and human-induced damage. This modular approach, combining field data collection by locally trained teams with remote processing by experts, demonstrated that affordable photogrammetry can produce accurate 3D models while lowering technical barriers and enhancing local conservation capacity. The methodology not only supports heritage preservation but also serves as a scalable model for documenting neglected sites globally, particularly in contexts lacking conventional resources or institutional support.
Zawiyas and Urban Organization in the Medina of Tunis: A Heritage-Oriented Urban Reading from the Hafsid Period to Contemporary Reuse
Zawiyas, Sufi lodges in the Medina of Tunis, played a pivotal role in structuring urban, social, and spiritual landscapes from the Hafsid dynasty (13th–16th centuries) to contemporary times. These institutions were not merely religious spaces but acted as catalysts for neighborhood organization, brokerage between rulers and communities, education, charity, and spiritual governance. Their strategic positioning near gate-markets, cemeteries, and key neighborhoods underscored their deep integration into civic life. The study traces the modern patrimonialization process, highlighting tensions between spiritual authenticity, community custodianship, and cultural tourism. Comparative analysis with cities like Fès and Tlemcen reveals regional variations in heritage governance that influence conservation strategies. Zawiyas exemplify a continuity between spirituality and city-making, offering critical lessons for sustainable urban policy in North African medinas. This interdisciplinary research advances understanding of Islamic urbanism, heritage governance, and cultural resilience.
Impact of Jurisprudential Heritage in the Organisation of the Medina of Tunis
The spatial organization of the Medina of Tunis has been significantly shaped by jurisprudential heritage rooted in Hanafi law. Research reveals that an 18th-century manuscript by Tunisian jurist Muhammad bin Ḥusayn bin Ibrahim al-Bārūdīal-Ḥanafī provided enduring solutions to property disputes and housing conflicts, fostering a unified construction system within the walled medina. This intellectual tradition not only standardized architectural forms and urban networks but also preserved neighborhood relationships over centuries. The study underscores how legal norms influenced the physical and social fabric of this historic city, offering insights into the interplay between jurisprudence and urban development in Islamic heritage contexts.
Patches, Corridors, Matrix, Webs and Clouds. Expanding Richard TT Forman’s Land Mosaic Approach in the Medina of Tunis
A novel framework for analyzing the Medina of Tunis introduces 'webs' and 'clouds' to Richard T.T. Forman's land mosaic theory, integrating intangible social and subjective elements alongside traditional tangible components. This approach moves beyond conventional preservationist methods, addressing marginalized communities affected by capitalism-driven heritage management and tourism. By combining literature review with landscape fieldwork, the study advocates for an inclusive, sustainable analysis that considers both physical and intangible dimensions of urban landscapes. Applicable to other historic urban areas, this method aims to re-signify medinas across North Africa while embedding sustainable practices in response to climate change challenges.
The Medina of Tunis, a Heritage Model for Urban Sustainability
The Medina of Tunis stands out as a model for urban sustainability, demonstrating how traditional heritage and morphology can enhance thermal comfort while preserving cultural significance. Safa Achour's study evaluates the medina's design and outdoor thermal conditions to provide actionable recommendations for urban planning. By integrating historical architecture with modern sustainability practices, this research offers a blueprint for balancing heritage conservation with social vitality in globalized urban landscapes.
Circularity-based decision-making framework for the integrated conservation of built heritage: the case of the Medina of Tunis
A circularity-based decision-making framework for the integrated conservation of built heritage, applied to the Medina of Tunis, reveals that knowledge and data exchange are the most significant factors driving sustainable urban regeneration. This approach shifts from traditional 'governing for culture' to a more dynamic 'governing through culture,' emphasizing heritage-led regeneration through effective redistribution of cultural activities in historic city centers. The study employs the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to evaluate cross-matching relationships between circular governance indicators, comparing case-specific and general data to define an integrated conservation model.
La dialectique appropriation-patrimonialisation : Cas de l'habitat arabo-musulman présent au sein de la Médina de Tunis.
Urban heritage preservation, often driven by institutions or local actors, reshapes social dynamics within historic districts. This study reveals that patrimonialization processes in the Medina of Tunis diversify modes of urban appropriation, challenging traditional typologies. It demonstrates how private actors' involvement in public-led patrimonialization initiatives creates a complex interplay, influencing both the management of historic centers and residents' rights to the city. The research employs a unique methodological approach to analyze these dynamics, offering new perspectives on power relations, urban sustainability, and the evolving nature of habitation in heritage sites.
La médina de Tunis de la vulnérabilité à la résilience
The Medina of Tunis demonstrates remarkable resilience to natural and anthropogenic hazards, including climate change, despite facing significant physical, social, systemic, and organizational vulnerabilities. This study highlights its adaptability to crises such as socio-economic changes, heritage degradation, and health emergencies, particularly due to its bioclimatic design. However, vulnerabilities in governance, urban functionality, and sustainability hinder its full potential for resilience. The research employs an empirical approach to assess the medina's resilience across four dimensions: urban fabric, social system, governance, and architectural design, identifying key challenges that threaten its long-term preservation and adaptability.
Of Wings and Footprints
A Jewish childhood in the Medina of Tunis, as depicted by Haddad (2023), reveals a fluid cultural identity shaped by shared Mediterranean experiences. The study highlights the seamless integration of Jewish and Muslim communities through language, cuisine, and daily life, challenging notions of rooted religious identity. Using personal narrative and sensory observations—ochre earth, azure sea, fragrant air, and fierce sun—the text illustrates how environmental and social elements transcend religious boundaries. The research approach combines memoir-style storytelling with ethnographic detail, capturing the continuity of Mediterranean culture across the Hara (Jewish quarter) and La Goulette. Key insights include the blurred lines between Jewish and Muslim traditions in Tunisia, emphasizing a shared heritage rooted in place rather than faith.
The souks: Tunis, Tunisia
This study highlights the underrecognized role of consumerism and markets, particularly those involving luxury or counterfeit goods, in generating both economic and ecological harm. It examines how the souks of Tunis, a set of shops and boutiques within the Medina of Tunis, serve as sites for such practices, including the purchase of 'genuine fakes' at discounted prices. While consumerism is often associated with contemporary capitalist consumption, this research underscores its historical significance and its broader implications, such as the ecological footprint and social privilege tied to these markets. The study also draws parallels with other global markets, from wet markets linked to pandemics like COVID-19 to more exotic forms of consumption in Thailand and Johannesburg. By analyzing these dynamics, the research offers a critical perspective on how markets function not just as sites of commerce but also as generators of harm and privilege.
Staging Arts in the Historic City: Development Funding, Social Media Images, and Tunisia's Contemporary Public Art Scene
Public art projects in the Medina of Tunis, while aiming to empower marginalized communities through participatory methods and social media visibility, paradoxically obscure diverse local lifestyles and imaginaries. This contradiction stems from the reliance on foreign development funding post-2011 Arab Spring, which frames global neoliberal interests as locally driven. Despite efforts to improve residents' material conditions—referred to as 'mirtah' (comfort)—significant advancements remain elusive. The study highlights the tension between public art's role in nation-building and its entanglement with external funding agendas.
Colonial Zaytuna: The Making of a Minaret in French-Occupied Tunisia
The construction of Zaytuna Mosque's minaret during French colonial rule in Tunisia reflects a complex interplay between colonial aspirations and architectural revival. This 1892 project, which replaced a hazardous Ottoman-era structure with an Almohad-style replica, paralleled the rise of French neighborhoods and Saint Vincent de Paul Cathedral. The study reveals how the minaret's design symbolized both a break from Ottoman heritage and a reappropriation of North African architectural styles under colonial influence. By analyzing archival records and urban development patterns, the research sheds light on the political motivations behind this monumental endeavor and its lasting impact on Tunisian cityscape.
Digital Urban Art in Historic City Centers in Times of Democratic Transition
Digital urban art, when integrated with historic city centers during democratic transitions, can enhance local identity and create unique visual experiences. A study on the Medina of Tunis found that ephemeral nightlife events, characterized by digital art installations, contribute to a charming atmosphere while preserving cultural heritage. This approach underscores the importance of embracing democratic values in shaping public spaces. The research explores how ICTs are used in historical sites, combining tangible heritage with visual experiences to foster a sense of place and expressionist simulacrum.
Green System Development in the Medinas of Tunis and Marrakesh—Green Heritage and Urban Livability
Research demonstrates the potential of urban green infrastructure (UGI) to enhance livability and preserve heritage in UNESCO-listed Medinas, such as those in Tunis and Marrakesh. The study highlights that integrating historical green systems—rooted in medieval Islamic and colonial-era designs—can mitigate degradation from urbanization and climate change while retaining intangible cultural values. By analyzing the evolution of green spaces across three distinct periods, the research provides a design guideline for applying UGI within the Medinas' dense, historic morphologies. This approach offers a sustainable model for balancing urban development with heritage conservation in Maghreb cities.
Law and Vision
A correlation between Islamic legal texts on vision and building shaped socio-spatial arrangements in North African cities, including the Medina of Tunis. The study analyzes two medieval manuscripts—one on visual rules (aḥkām an-naẓar) and another on urban construction (aḥkām al-bunyān)—to demonstrate how Qur’anic and ḥadīth-based principles influenced domestic architecture, urban design, and social behavior. By contextualizing these texts historically, the research reveals their enduring impact on Islamic city planning, bridging legal theory with tangible urban structures.
Médina
This comprehensive study of the Mediterranean medina reveals its enduring architectural and urban significance, characterized by a stratified evolution of spaces, monuments, and functions. Through detailed historical and photographic research, along with case studies from cities like Cordoba, Fez, and Tunis, it demonstrates how these urban frameworks maintain legibility and cultural importance despite temporal changes. The analysis highlights the extraordinary cultural value of monumental complexes arranged in precise hierarchies, contributing to our understanding of Arab-Muslim architectural heritage.
Urban Life Is Nothing If Not Theatrical: The Role of Art in the Regeneration of the Medina of Tunis City
Artistic practices significantly influence urban development and regeneration, particularly in historical contexts. A study on the Medina of Tunis demonstrates that bottom-up social participation through art transforms public spaces and user experiences, shifting traditional static urban paradigms. The research highlights how artistic manifestations reshape perceptions, usage, and design of urban landscapes, serving as a necessary tool for heritage revitalization. By analyzing specific case studies within the Medina, the study reveals the dynamic interplay between art and urbanism, offering insights into sustainable regeneration strategies for UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Introduction. Colonialism, Tourism and Place
This introductory chapter reveals the persistent and evolving connections between colonialism and tourism, demonstrating how these dynamics continue to shape global destinations today. It argues that cultural and economic practices of coloniality are continuously updated and reproduced by tourism producers across various locations, from staged weddings in Mauritius to curated walks through UNESCO World Heritage Sites like the Medina of Tunis. The analysis highlights the importance of exploring linkages between historical foundations, local practices, and globalizing discourses of tourist exploitation over time. By providing a close reading of the colonialism-tourism complex, the chapter offers pathways to understand the relationships between the colonial past and the neo-liberal present.
Post-Arab Spring Tunis: Materializing Revolution in the City
Tunis emerges as a paradigmatic case of an Arab revolutionary city, where the aftermath of the Arab Spring continues to shape urban landscapes through incremental, differentiated practices. This study identifies five key sites in Tunis—Medina and Avenue Bourguiba (national public spaces), Avenue Mohamed al-Khamis and Les Banlieues Nords (regime landscapes), and Qsar Bardo (a site of overlapping national and local governance)—as focal points of conflict over identity, heritage, security, and political legitimacy. These sites, endowed with collective memories and symbolic significance, serve as arenas where the new regime and citizens collectively negotiate the city's future. The research employs a multi-scaled approach combining fieldwork, regional analysis, and comparisons with international cases to trace how revolutionary practices materialize in urban spaces, offering insights into the enduring consequences of political transformation on cities.
The Sustainable Well-Being in the Medina of Tunis and Its Environmental Values
The Medina of Tunis, a historic center of Muslim civilization, exemplifies sustainable urban planning through its architectural and environmental design. This study reveals that the city's built environment, from streets to courtyards, plays a crucial role in enhancing cultural and social values rooted in Islamic tradition. By analyzing the settlement structure and referencing 14th-century master builder Ibn Al-Rami's studies, researchers demonstrate how vernacular planning integrates sustainability with participatory design, offering insights into long-lasting urban well-being.
The evolution of heritage atmospheres in the medina of Tunis since the 19th century
A comparative analysis of the Medina of Tunis reveals significant shifts in sensory experiences and user perceptions since the 19th century. The study highlights how historical accounts contrast with contemporary observations, illustrating changes in atmospheric qualities that shape the heritage site's character. By integrating literary sources with fieldwork—including interviews and direct observation—the research captures evolving sensorial dimensions, from olfactory and auditory cues to spatial dynamics. These findings underscore the dynamic nature of heritage atmospheres, influenced by urban evolution, cultural practices, and visitor interactions.
Tourists’ walking rhythms: ‘doing’ the Tunis Medina, Tunisia
Tourists' walking rhythms in the UNESCO-listed Medina of Tunis play a crucial role in shaping the city's urban experience. The study reveals that tourists engage in diverse, situation-dependent walking patterns—shifting between performances, body language, pauses, and visual interactions—that dynamically intersect with the medina's physical structure. Inspired by Lefebvre’s rhythmanalysis, this research combines mobile methodologies, interviews, and online comments to highlight how embodied movement contributes to the city's construction. Unlike traditional trajectory mapping, it emphasizes the qualitative, situational nature of tourist mobility in complex urban spaces.
Interrogating the ‘implementation’ of international policies of urban conservation in the medina of Tunis
Urban conservation policies in the Medina of Tunis reveal a complex interplay between international standards and local practices. The study highlights how French colonial-era interventions, particularly through the Mission de Tunisie (1881), shaped Tunisia's heritage legislation and institutions, blending imported knowledge with indigenous traditions like the Habous charitable trust. This dual approach has influenced the preservation and valuation of cultural heritage in Tunis, reflecting a long history from Punic and Roman times to modern conservation efforts. The research examines how these policies were implemented, offering insights into the challenges and synergies between global conservation frameworks and local governance.
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