Conservation Manual

For Earth Architecture Heritage in the Pre-Saharan Valleys of Morocco.

This manual was created with the intention of reducing the malpractices affecting the earth architecture heritage in Southern Morocco, in order to preserve what remains of its exceptional nature. The architectures existing in these valleys, such as the World Heritage Site of Ait Benhaddou, are unique and fragile. The factors of degradation are many, and the buildings are strongly subject to being altered; every replacement of a door, every damaged decoration, every reconstruction using concrete blocks represents a step towards the disappearance of the richness of this heritage. The conservation of the splendours of these ancient structures does not come into contradiction with the modernisation of life and the improvement of the living conditions of those who reside in them. However, certain ethical rules must be complied with to avoid the destruction of the cultural values existing within these walls. Rules of good conduct, as regards to conservation, are proposed in this manual.