https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0756-8921
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ABSTRACT
This article discusses the meaning of authenticity in making places with heritage values through the case of the Algerian medinas. Because of their particular and exclusive histories in the Maghreb, these historical settlements founded in the Islamic period have sometimes undergone radical transformations that have undermined their universal heritage eligibility. The latter is based on the criterion of authenticity. This is currently being questioned because of its rigidity, which has ensued from transformations in ideological field related to notions of culture and identity. Additionally, universal heritage eligibility has been shaped by the emergence of intangible heritage. This article is between a ‘Viewpoint’ type of paper and an empirically grounded research paper. The results of such an approach highlight the contradictions related to the authorities’ choices concerning the heritage of the Algerian medina. A process made according to a vision that was impregnated by a constructed authenticity. The latter was based on the primacy of the original Islamic model according to issues of decolonization and autochthony. The article calls into question the normative reading of heritage as a set of essences favouring a social construction of systems of representation that claim truth, identity and history.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Notes
1 Lowenthal, The Past is a Foreign Country.
2 AlSayyad & Nam, “Authenticity and the Manufacture of Heritage,” 713–20.
3 Holtrof, “Authenticity and Pastness,” 711–13.
4 See Garcin, Grandes villes méditerranéennes and Cohen. “Architectural History,” 349–72.
5 Horne, A Savage War of Peace.
6 See : https://www.elysee.fr.
7 Stora, “Les questions mémorielles.”
8 See Heni, Architecture of counterrevolution.
9 Rivet, “Le fait colonial et nous,” 127.
10 Blais, “Introduction. Un long moment colonial,” 16.
11 Sidi boumedinene, “Vers une problématique de la patrimonialité,” 17.
12 Lanchet, “Des medinas heritées, habitées et visitées.”
13 Jelidi, Villes maghrébines en situations coloniales.
14 See: Ammar (ed.), Formes urbaines et architectures au Maghreb and Bacha (ed.), Architectures Au Maghreb (XIXE-XXE Siècles) and also : Ageron. 1973, Politiques coloniales au Maghreb.
15 Pagand, “Contantine et les grandes médinas,” 93.
16 Malverti, Picard, “Algeria: military genius and civic design (1830-70).”
17 See Turunen, “Perceived Authenticity,” 121–35.
18 Al Sayyad and Nam, “Authenticity and the Manufacture of Heritage,” 713–20.
19 Nora, Les lieux de mémoires.
20 ICOMOS, Document NARA sur l’authenticité (1994).
21 The International Charter on the Conservation and Restoration of Monuments and Sites (Venice Charter), is a set of guidelines that provides an international framework for the preservation and restoration of ancient objects and buildings.
22 Moser, Psychologie environnementale, 25.
23 Lapierre, “L’identité collective,” 195-206.
24 Guillemard, “Authenticité et patrimoine,” 21–29.
25 Nara Document on Authenticity is a 1994 text that provides a broader understanding for the preservation and restoration of ancient objects and buildings by assessing the value and authenticity of cultural properties in a more objective manner.
26 Guillemard, “Authenticité et patrimoine,” 21–29.
27 The Yamato Declaration on Integrated Approaches to Safeguarding Tangible and Intangible Cultural Heritage was unanimously adopted on 22 October 2004 in Nara, Japan.
28 Vinsonneau, “Le développement des notions de culture et d’identité,” 2–20.
29 Delleche & Debabi, “La négociation interculturelle,” 67–75.
30 The rural vernacular built heritage is excluded from the debate here. The article is concerned with the organic built heritage of the historic towns or medinas.
31 Several scholars have studied the relationship between the Islamic city’s structure and the Islamic religion. See Abu-Lughod, “The Islamic City,”155–76 & Raymond, “Islamic City, Arab City,”3-18 & Hourani, “Introduction: The Islamic City,” 11–2.
32 Chérif, “Alger, 1830-1980,” 131–52.
33 There are many studies in this category which provide a historiography of the way in which the first European architects looked at the built environment of the city at the time of the conquest of the country, amongst which Oulebsir, Les usages du patrimoine, 57–97 and Koumas & Nafa, L’Algérie et son patrimoine, 197.
34 See Maleverti and Picard, “Algeria: military genius,” 207–34. Their work has provided the impetus for many other authors to explore this avenue, including: Cresti, “Alger, 1830-1860,” XVI-XXIV, Saidouni, Rapport de force dans l’urbanisme colonial algérois (1855-1935).
35 Berque, L’intérieur du Maghreb.
36 See : Grangaud, Oualdi, “Tout est-il colonial dans le Maghreb,” and Ouahes, Le forum et l’informe and Salah-Salah, Approche patrimoniale de la médina de Annaba.
37 Wright, The Politics of Design.
38 See Maleverti & Picard, “Algeria: military genius,” 207–34 and Picard, “Architecture et urbanisme en Algérie, ” 121–36.
39 Çelik, Empire Architecture, 77–8.
40 Prochaska, Making Algeria French.
41 Later Place du Gouvernement, and now Place des Martyrs.
42 See Deluz (Ed.), L’urbanisme et l’architecture d’Alger, 60 and Deluz, Alger chronique urbaine
43 Çelik, Urban Forms, 70.
44 Cohen (Ed.), Alger, paysage urbain.
45 Kasmi, “The plan as a colonization project,” 25–42.
46 Salah-Salah. “Relevance of heritage safeguarding plans,” 226–39.
47 Berger & Spoerer. “Economic Crises,” 293–326.
48 Pagand, “Contantine et les grandes médinas,” 93.
49 Boutefnouchet, La culture en Algérie, 48–53.
50 Zaouya is the Arabic name given to the religious establishment under the authority of a Muslim brotherhood, specially assigned to teaching.
51 Oulémas or Ulémas: Name of Arabic origin also used in French given to Muslim scholars, who act as jurists and theologians
52 Salah-Salah & Spiga. “La médina de Annaba,” 326–14.
53 Pagand, “Contantine et les grandes médinas,” 93.
54 Ibid.
55 Van der Dussen. “The West and the Rest.”
56 Betrouni. “Le Patrimoine Culturel Algérien,”5.
57 Ibid.
58 Ibid.
59 Ibid.,6.
60 Stora, “les questions mémorielles.”
61 Almi, Urbanisme et colonisation : présence française en Algérie, 9–13.
62 Beecher, “ Bernard DESMARS, Militants de l’utopie,” 147–49.
63 The Saint-Simonians spent several years in Egypt, starting in the 1830s, and in Algeria in the 1840s under the Second Empire. Guided by the desire to unite the East and the West, they wanted to put the Orient and the Maghreb on the path of progress. Despite the inevitable involvement of some of them in colonisation, they were truly anti-colonial and showed a real openness to the other.
64 Enfantin, Colonisation de l’Algérie, 533.
65 Rahmoun, “L'apport saint-simonien,”
66 See: Benseddik. “Histoire coloniale.”166. and Rahmoun, “L'apport saint-simonien dans l'établissement colonial en Algérie”
67 Wright, “Tradition in the Service of Modernity,” 291–316.
68 Béguin. Arabisances.
69 The regime of indigénat, frequently referred to as the code de l'indigénat, was a special administrative penal regime reserved for indigenous subjects of France's colonial territories in the XIXᵉ and XXᵉ centuries.
70 Sari & McGuinness. “The role of the Medinas,” 69–80.
71 Boutefnouchet, La culture en Algerie, 23.
72 Sidi oumediene. “Vers une problématique de la patrimonialité,” 17.
73 Sidi Boumediene. “Vers une problématique de la patrimonialité,” 17.
74 See Çelik, “New Approaches,” 374–81.
75 Salah-Salah, “Relevance of heritage safeguarding plans,” 226–39.
76 In Algeria, the National Territorial Development Plan (SNAT) provides for 18 Heritage Economy Poles (PEP).
77 AlSayyad, Nam, “Authenticity and the Manufacture of Heritage”,713–20.
78 Ibid.
79 See Betrouni,M. “Le tourisme en Algérie : quelle image ?” Le soir D’Algérie (Newspaper), November 06, 2018.
80 Salah-Salah, Approche patrimoniale de la médina de Annaba, 39–40.
81 Ibid.
82 See Oulebsir, La construction du patrimoine en Algérie, Oulebsir, Les usages du patrimoine, Koumas& Nafa, L’Algérie et son patrimoine.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Hana Salah-Salah
Hana Salah-Salah is an associate professor at ‘Universite 8 Mai 1945 Guelma’ Algeria, Department of Architecture where she teaches ‘The history of Islamic Architecture’. She is also responsible of the Master’s degree training. She received her PHD in urban planning in 2018 and the university accreditation (HDr.) in 2021. Her recent publications include: the memorialization and heritage identity (2017), sustainable urbanization in safeguarded natural environments (2019), the heritage between rhetoric and reality (2020), Her current research interests include the community involvement in historic city centres and the environmental performance in urban areas.