: Morocco - Information related to Intangible Cultural Heritage
Other sources of information 
Within UNESCO:
World Heritage in this country
- Date of deposit of instrument: 06-07-2006
- UNESCO Regional Officer for Intangible Heritage: Bedjaoui, Assia
Following information is provided for easy reference, but has no official status. For comments or to update information, please contact the regional officer concerned via ich@unesco.org.
Since November 2008, the Representative List contains 90 elements of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
- Proclamation 2001: "The Cultural Space of Jemaa el-Fna Square"
- Proclamation 2005: "The Moussem of Tan-Tan"
Proclamation 2001: "The Cultural Space of Jemaa el-Fna Square"
©UNESCO / Jane Wright
The Jemaa el-Fna Square is one of the main cultural spaces in Marrakesh and has become one of the symbols of the city since its foundation in the eleventh century. It represents a unique concentration of popular Moroccan cultural traditions performed through musical, religious and artistic expressions.
Located at the entrance of the Medina, this triangular square, which is surrounded by restaurants, stands and public buildings, provides everyday commercial activities and various forms of entertainment. It is a meeting point for both the local population and people from elsewhere. All through the day, and well into the night, a variety of services are offered, such as dental care, traditional medicine, fortune-telling, preaching, and henna tattooing; water-carrying, fruit and traditional food may be bought. In addition, one can enjoy many performances by storytellers, poets, snake-charmers, Berber musicians (mazighen), Gnaoua dancers and senthir (hajouj) players. The oral expressions would be continually renewed by bards (imayazen), who used to travel through Berber territories. They continue to combine speech and gesture to teach, entertain and charm the audience. Adapting their art to contemporary contexts, they now improvise on an outline of an ancient text, making their recital accessible to a wider audience.
The Jemaa el-Fna Square is a major place of cultural exchange and has enjoyed protection as part of Morocco’s artistic heritage since 1922. However, urbanization, in particular real estate speculation and the development of the road infrastructure, are seen as serious threats to the cultural space itself. While Jemaa el-Fna Square enjoys great popularity, the cultural practices may suffer acculturation, also caused by widespread tourism.
Proclamation 2005: "The Moussem of Tan-Tan"
© UNESCO/ Michel Ravassard
The Moussem of Tan-Tan in southwest Morocco is an annual gathering of nomadic peoples of the Sahara that brings together more than thirty tribes from southern Morocco and other parts of northwest Africa. Originally this was an annual event around the month of May. Part of the agricultural and herding calendar of the nomads, these gatherings were an opportunity to group together, buy, sell and exchange foodstuffs and other products, organize camel and horse-breeding competitions, celebrate weddings and consult herbalists. The Moussem also included a range of cultural expressions such as musical performances, popular chanting, games, poetry contests and other Hassanie oral traditions.
These gatherings took the form of a Moussem (a type of annual fair with economic, cultural and social functions) in 1963 when the first Moussem of Tan-Tan was organized to promote local traditions and provide a place for exchange, meeting and celebration. The Moussem is said to have been initially associated with Mohamed Laghdaf, who resisted the Franco-Spanish occupation. He died in 1960, and his tomb lies near the town. However, between 1979 and 2004 it was not possible to hold the Moussem because of security problems in the region.
Today, the nomadic populations are particularly concerned to protect their way of life. Economic and technical upheavals in the region have profoundly altered the lifestyle of the nomadic Bedouin communities, forcing many of them to settle. Moreover, urbanization and rural exodus have contributed to the loss of many aspects of the traditional culture of these populations, such as crafts and poetry. Because of these risks, Bedouin communities rely strongly on the renewed Moussem of Tan-Tan to assist them in ensuring the survival of their know-how and traditions.
