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UNESCO, EU Restore Historic Houses in Four Yemeni Cities

"Some of the homes in Old Sanaa after restoration (General Organization for the Preservation of the Historic Cities of Yemen)
"Some of the homes in Old Sanaa after restoration (General Organization for the Preservation of the Historic Cities of Yemen)
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UNESCO, EU Restore Historic Houses in Four Yemeni Cities

"Some of the homes in Old Sanaa after restoration (General Organization for the Preservation of the Historic Cities of Yemen)
"Some of the homes in Old Sanaa after restoration (General Organization for the Preservation of the Historic Cities of Yemen)

In partnership with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Yemen’s Social Fund for Development has restored hundreds of damaged historic houses and landmarks in the cities of Shibam, old Sanaa, Zabid and Aden.

Funded by the European Union, the restoration project aims at preserving the Yemeni heritage and creating job opportunities for young Yemenis.

In addition to houses restoration, the project also seeks the rehabilitation of the sewage network that requires an urgent intervention in old Sanaa.

Local sources reported that UNESCO is urging donors to increase their funds for Yemen in 2024 to expand the development and culture projects and preserve heritage, landmarks and historic cities.

According to UNESCOS’s General Authority for the Preservation of Historic Cities, the historic city of Zabid, listed as a UNESCO Human Heritage, is among the most damaged in the country. It embraces 12,000 buildings, including 4962 ancient houses that have been violated or destroyed. Part of Al Hodeidah governorate, Zabid features 27 schools and 86 historic mosques as well.

Data also show that many landmarks in the historic city collapsed, while there are 46 damaged buildings that require a quick intervention to save them from collapse. Some of these buildings are over 600 years old.

 

In addition to preserving historic buildings, the project focuses on the social aspects by integrating the younger Yemenis in the restoration process. It also aims at creating jobs for 8,000 young men and women.

The project offers training and funds for the organizations active in the cultural field. Young Yemenis are taking part in restoring and rehabilitating over 500 historic buildings in three endangered World Heritage sites in Sanaa, Shibam and Zabid, as part of the awareness campaigns promoting the importance of protecting the Yemeni heritage.

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Culture

Morocco's Women Rug Weavers Battle to Save Age-old Craft

Women in southern Morocco have kept on the tradition of weaving carpets despite its meagre earnings - AFP
Women in southern Morocco have kept on the tradition of weaving carpets despite its meagre earnings - AFP
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Morocco's Women Rug Weavers Battle to Save Age-old Craft

Women in southern Morocco have kept on the tradition of weaving carpets despite its meagre earnings - AFP
Women in southern Morocco have kept on the tradition of weaving carpets despite its meagre earnings - AFP

In southern Morocco, women are the guardians of the age-old craft of carpet weaving, an intricate art form that often leaves them with meagre earnings.

Women like Ijja Benchri, who creates carpets on a wooden weaving loom outside her small home in the village of Taznakht, follows traditions going back many generations.

"I started when I was 11 or 12, imitating the women I saw weaving," said Benchri, 60.

Known for their bold geometric patterns and vibrant colors, the handwoven rugs are a fixture in local markets and a favorite among tourists.

In 2022, traditional carpets accounted for nearly 22 percent of the kingdom's artisan exports, according to government data, AFP reported.

The mountain villages around Taznakht are famous for their Ait Ouaouzguite carpets, named after a native Amazigh tribe, one among a grouping of several communities indigenous to North Africa long referred to as Berbers.

The carpets are woven by the women on small traditional looms, either at home or in specialised workshops.

They are then categorized into various styles, depending on their region of origin and their designs.

Some of Morocco's finest rugs are crafted from high-quality sheep wool in Jbel Sirwa just south of the Atlas Mountains, and dyed using natural pigments from plants like henna, pomegranate peels, or indigo.

Though industrial dyes have replaced natural ones for most weavers because they are cheaper and can be produced more quickly.

"This tradition has been handed down for centuries, from mothers to daughters," said Safia Imnoutres, who leads a local women's weaving cooperative.

She was one of the women showcasing their creations at a recent festival in Taznakht dedicated to safeguarding the heritage.

- 'Comes from within' -

Creating a single carpet can take two to four weeks depending on its size, said Benchri, speaking in Tamazight, the community's language recognized as an official language alongside Arabic in Morocco.

"I choose the colors as I go, according to my feelings," she added.

Imnoutres also described the process as "instinctive", guided by emotion rather than a predetermined design.

"Weaving is an expression of the women's feelings, when they are joyful, when they are melancholic," she added. "It's an art that comes from within."

But beyond its artistic value, weaving is a vital source of income.

Every Thursday, many travel to a weekly market to sell their rugs, often to middlemen who set the prices.

On average, a large rug sells for just 250 Moroccan dirhams (around $24), with its final price later raking astronomical profits.

In cities like Marrakech, some 250 kilometres (160 miles) north of Taznakht, they are sold in bazaars for up to ten times the original price.

Other rugs are listed at up to $6,000 on online platforms.

"We earn very little," said Benchri. "The intermediaries decide the price, and we have no choice but to accept it because this is our livelihood."

These diminishing returns, she added, have contributed to making the craft less attractive for younger women and jeopardising the handcraft tradition.

Additionally, the influx of cheaper, machine-made rugs has deepened competition.

To address these challenges, a new exhibition space in Taznakht allows some weavers to sell their work directly to buyers, cutting out middlemen.

The center also tries to open new avenues for these women to sell their products independently through courses in digital marketing.

"If this heritage isn't made financially viable, we risk losing it," Imnoutres warned.