A UNESCO official praises the tiles of Morocco

At the beginning of this week, Simona Mirela Miculescu, President of the General Assembly of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), made a field visit to a training workshop for making traditional tiles in Tetouan at the “Guidance” Artisan Center in the city of White Dove.

The visit of the UN official, which came on the sidelines of her participation in the celebration of International Jazz Day, which was hosted by the city of Tangier last Tuesday, falls within the framework of “informing the UN official of the Moroccan cultural and civilizational heritage.”

After a tour by Simona Mirella Miculescu in the ancient city of Tetouan, the UN official was keen to get a closer look at “the history, methods and means of the Tetouan clay industry, which is characterized by unique artistic and technical characteristics that make it a unique industry at the national level.”

This ancient profession is based on “transforming clay into mosaics of different shapes, sizes, and colors.” It is likely that “this ancient traditional craft entered the city of Tetouan from Andalusia, and it is known for its special character, whether in terms of the color adopted or in terms of the method of production.”

Simona Mirela Miculescu said: “I am very fortunate to visit the city of Tetouan, as part of my visit to Morocco to celebrate World Jazz Day, and I am grateful to the UNESCO office here. Because it enabled me to visit one of the most wonderful places in Morocco. “I was impressed by all the beauty of the city of Tetouan, its rich history and traditions, which I saw how they could be celebrated.”

The UN official continued: “In this workshop, I was very impressed; Because I saw something that we value very much at UNESCO, which is ensuring the sustainability of traditional arts,” she said, highlighting that “this workshop is in some way a symbol of the spirit of UNESCO’s mission, that is, preserving the wealth and treasures left to us by our ancestors.”

It is noteworthy that the Moroccan tiles, which the Kingdom registered with the World Intellectual Property Organization in 2016, have become the target of attempts to steal and plunder cultural heritage. This is a phenomenon that Morocco is fighting through UNESCO.