The evolution of the Medina of Marrakech since 45 years

The Medina of Marrakech is the largest Arab-Muslim city in North Africa. Michel Van der Meerschen was able to study it from 1972 to 1981 professionally, then to visit it from 1982 to 2017 as an attentive visitor. He was thus able to measure, each year, the evolution of the urban fabric of this city registered on the list of the World Heritage of Humanity in 1985. First, as a municipal architect, he was aware of the wishes of the inhabitants, developers and shopkeepers through the requests for building permits. Then, he moved to the Regional Delegation of Urbanism, Housing and Territorial Development, and drew up the first official development plan for a Maghrebian Medina, focusing essentially on safeguarding the city and on socio-cultural equipment. Then, he faithfully returned every year, during his vacations, staying in the Medina, seeing his Moroccan friends and Juan Goytisolo, initiator of the inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of the Jema el Fna square in 2008. Today, Marrakech is the favorite destination of tourists in Morocco.Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)