The international meeting on mediterranean architectural heritage (ripam10)

The International Meetings on Mediterranean Architectural Heritage (RIPAM) are scientific events organized by a group of researchers, academics, historians, architects, heritage scientists, experts, curators and professionals from different countries and institutions in the Mediterranean basin.

Since 2005, RIPAM has been held every two years alternately between the two shores of the Mediterranean. In addition to the edition that will be organized this year in Er-Rachidia, Morocco has had the honor of organizing three meetings in 2005 in Meknes, in 2007 in Marrakech and in 2019 in Rabat. The other RIPAMs took place in Lisbon in 2009, in M’Sila in 2012, in Marseille in 2013, in Tunis in 2015, in Genoa in 2017 and in Lisbon in 2022.

The Mediterranean basin has a rich and diverse architectural heritage that reflects the ingenuity and creativity of artisans as well as the cultural richness of this region of the world. Today, energy and ecological challenges in the building sector are encouraging operators to replace conventional building materials with eco-materials. This has led to a renewed interest in building with local materials in recent years (earth, stones, wood, etc.), due to their durability and ecological character.

Draa-Tafilalet region, is home to a very rich and diverse earthen architectural heritage consisting of ksours, kasbahs, mosques, fortifications and granaries. The rehabilitation of this heritage can have a significant positive impact on the local population, regional economy, cultural heritage and tourism industry. Rehabilitation projects often require local labor to carry out construction, restoration and rehabilitation work. Once rehabilitated, these structures can become tourist attractions, generating revenue for local and regional businesses in the tourism, industrial and agricultural sectors. They can therefore help preserve and promote the cultural heritage of the region.

Er-Rachidia will have the honor of hosting the tenth International Meeting on Mediterranean Architectural Heritage (RIPAM10) from November 2 to 4, 2023. The main objective of this international event is to exchange between national and international experts and to deepen discussions on issues of conservation and enhancement of Mediterranean architectural heritage in general, and built heritage with local materials in particular.