How Grassroots Initiatives Preserve and Protect Tunisian Cultural Heritage

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2024: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The Medina of Tunis is an ancient Islamic city and a UNESCO World Heritage site. However, it is in a vulnerable state, with many historic palaces, ancient dwellings, and monuments confronting neglect, leading to an alarming rate of deterioration. In 2021, an independent ethnographic research study was conducted in the Medina of Tunis in collaboration with Blue Fish, a social enterprise consultancy. Through assessing local heritage values and the extent of community awareness of the significance of preserving historical assets, the research contributed to local knowledge creation in ways that help heritage advocates to better understand the challenges around preserving the Medina and implement practical strategies and interventions to strengthen preservation efforts. The results of the research highlighted the important role that grassroots heritage organizations play in shifting existing negative perspectives of the Medina, educating the public, and raising awareness around the Medina’s rich heritage. In this session, a short video will first be presented to tell the story of the Medina. This will be followed by a presentation of the highlights of the research findings, demonstrating how cultivating grassroots heritage organizations and inclusive participation have proven successful in promoting awareness, revitalizing, and protecting heritage in the Medina.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SAA 2024: Individual Abstracts   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

Keywords

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 38059.0