Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, Minister of Culture, Youth and Communication, said that “within the framework of a set of agreements signed with a number of friendly countries, including in particular the United States of America, Chile and Germany, a significant number of fossils of scientific, historical and cultural importance have been recovered, which are being displayed in the Sidi Abdel Rahman archaeological space to introduce citizens and visitors to the ancient and rich history of the Kingdom of Morocco.”
This came in a speech delivered by the Minister of Culture, Youth and Communication, yesterday, Wednesday, at the Sidi Abdel Rahman archaeological site in Casablanca, on the occasion of the opening of an exhibition of archaeological fossils that were returned to Morocco after being smuggled; among them is a crocodile skull that was retrieved from the United States of America, dating back 56 million years.
The exhibition also includes “species of trilobites and shark teeth recovered from the Republic of Chile, dating back about 500 million years, and a fossil representing a type of crocodile recovered from Germany, dating back about 200 million years.”
Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid stressed that “the ministry is working, in coordination with Moroccan researchers and archaeologists, to bring the concept of ecological spaces closer to citizens; by activating these ecological spaces to attract the attention of young people and rising generations and introducing them to this rich field that clearly highlights the antiquity and history of the Kingdom of Morocco,” stressing that “the beginning will be from the city of Casablanca, to then include archaeological sites and spaces in the rest of the regions of the Kingdom.”
For his part, Abdeljalil Bouzoukar, Director of the National Institute of Archaeology and Heritage, stressed that “the opening of this exhibition is an occasion to celebrate the return and recovery of a group of animal bones that had been illegally smuggled to Germany, the United States of America and Chile,” noting that “these recovered fossils are very important because they include a group of extinct animal creatures, such as species of dinosaurs, crocodiles and some marine creatures.”
On the other hand, the Director of the National Institute of Archaeology and Heritage stated that “the Sidi Abdel Rahman site, which hosts this exhibition, is an important archaeological site not only for the ancient history of the city of Casablanca; but for the history of Morocco and North Africa as well.”
It is noteworthy that the opening ceremony was marked by the launch of a light show of drones, as part of the “Nostalgia – Yesterday’s Emotion” event launched by the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication in a number of cities.
The organizers explained that “the archaeological site of Sidi Abdel Rahman in Casablanca is hosting, until July 21, these amazing light shows that aim to revive heritage and history in a new and innovative way,” noting that “Casablanca is the fifth stop to host the (Nostalgia – Yesterday’s Emotion) shows after the cities of Rabat, Marrakech, Tangier and Chefchaouen.”
#Recovered #fossils #display #Casablanca
2024-07-20 21:45:39