The Ministry of Culture said that the inclusion of the city of Rabat in the list will “give a strong impetus efforts made by Morocco” to preserve and promote the national and intangible cultural heritage.
Rabat – The Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) has approved Morocco’s request to include the country’s capital, Rabat, among the list of Islamic World Heritage.
The organization announced the inclusion of Rabat on the list during the 11th congress of culture ministers, running in Tunis at the initiative of ISESCO.
A statement from the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports said that ISESCO made its decision on the basis of a proposal introduced by El Hassan Abayba, Morocco’s Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports.
Abayba is also the spokesperson of the Moroccan government.
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He made the proposal during the current Congress in the presence of Morocco’s ambassador in Tunis, Hassan Tariq.
The statement from the ministry said that the decision comes as “recognition of the historic and civilization status that Rabat enjoys.”
The release described the city as a “human heritage and a place of coexistence and unity.”
The ministry also finds that the capital of Morocco embodies “modern renaissance” through cultural and development projects under the “Rabat, city of lights and cultural capital of Morocco” program.
The programs are in line with the cultural specificities, making the city one of the “African and Islamic capitals.”
The decision comes in less than a week when the United Nations, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) added Morocco’s traditional Gnawa to the list of the Cultural Heritage of Humanity on December 12.
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