Historic city centres and rural Mediterranean areas bear witness to the history and tradition of their inhabitants. Traditional Mediterranean architecture is important for many reasons and above all represents the living heritage that houses millions of people. However, due to a lack of knowledge and awareness, politicians and the population alike often consider traditional architecture more of a hindrance from the past than a potential for future development.

Montada sets out to address a comprehensive preservation of this heritage. To this end, it proposes recognition by politicians, governments and the population of the value of traditional architecture as an element of cultural identity and a potential source of social, economic and environmental development at local level.

Montada plans to work within a new framework of governance with a wide range of activities to develop recognition of the value of traditional architecture. The principal features of Montada are the Forums of Citizen Participation set up in each of the cities involved (Salé, Marrakech, Ghardaïa, Dellys, Sousse and Kairouan) and EIDEM, the international multidisciplinary team of experts that provides the necessary support for the Forums and their work.

This Project, implemented by a partnership specialized in the field of rehabilitation and conservation in different cities of the Mediterranean, aims at targeting civil society by emphasising the value of traditional architecture, so that its inhabitants can enjoy living and working in it.

• Promote traditional built heritage by strengthening its identity through appropriation by the population
• Create several Forums as meeting places for community involvement for the promotion and appropriation of built heritage
• Design and implement effective tools for the preservation and rehabilitation of traditional architecture
• Capitalise on the heritage resources of the city by learning about it and putting it to good use

• Ecole d'Avignon (France)
  http://www.ecole-avignon.com
• Association de Sauvegarde de la Médina de Kairouan (Tunisia)
  http://www.kairouan.org
• Office de protection et de promotion de la vallée du M’Zab (Algeria)
  http://www.opvm.dz/
• Association Sala Almoustaqbal (Morocco)
  http://www.sala-almoustaqbal.com/montada/

• Conservation & Rehabilitation

• Constant communication, wide dissemination and high visibility of the project
• Discussions on local issues related to heritage within a new framework of good governance focused on civil society participation
• The integrated management of the traditional built heritage is improved
• Cultural actors, craftsmen and professionals are aware of the need for the integrated management of their heritage and their know-how and skills
• The appropriation and understanding of traditional architecture by the inhabitants is achieved
• The elaboration of innovative educational tools for the understanding of heritage targeting youth
• An intercultural regional dialogue between all the actors at the north-south and south-south levels

		A voyage through the traditional architecture in Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia Traditional houses make the charm of historic centres and contribute to the unfolding of social activities within the communities. Increased awareness of this heritage and the involvement of people in its management are essential tools for preventive conservation.