Spatial Imaginaries “from the Ground”: Framing Fez’s Medina Contemporary Identity

ABSTRACTThe medina of Fez started to play a key role in the tourism industry after the Second World War (Girard, M. 2006a. “Imaginaire touristique et émotion patrimoniale dans la medina de Fès (Maroc).” Culture & Musées 8: 61–90). The city’s image, traditionally linked to craftsmen, religious buildings and cultural heritage has contributed to the tourism industry and put Fez on the international map of world destinations. Labeled in 1981 as a World Heritage site, it has been experiencing government-orchestrated rehabilitations parallel to private investments in built heritage. Contributing to the economic development of the city, these investments have also transformed the image of the medina. A flourishing touristic destination and an urban environment of daily life shape the contemporary identity of the medina, structured around plural social imaginaries sometimes complementary and sometimes competing with one another. The paper qualitatively addresses the transformation of Fez’s medina from the angle of spatial imaginaries considering the latter as a defining factor in the formation of the medina’s contemporary identity. It discusses the emergence of new spatial imaginaries, which are thriving daily at the crossroads of diverse practices and initiatives of local and international actors. Results suggest that further understanding of the conditions of emergence, and spatial expression of these imaginaries can contribute to the debate on the development of historical medina in Morocco while highlighting the forces of reinvention of local identity.KEYWORDS: ImaginariesmedinaidentityheritageFeztourism development Disclosure StatementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.