Former Colonial Souk of Tablaba, Taghjijt, Guelmim-Oued Noun

Abstract

This article describes the rehabilitation of the former colonial market of Tablaba, in the Guelmim-Oued Noun region of southern Morocco. In an old palm grove shared by the Tekna and Ayt Herbil tribes, a colonial souk was built in 1940 with local materials and on an impressive scale. In its rehabilitation carried out by Salima Naji following decades of decay, traditional techniques took pride of place. Equally important was a new pilot training program implemented across the province, recovering vernacular methods while also reviving building trades. Thus what is described is not the reconstruction of the original complex, which had partially disappeared when the work began, nor a restoration of any of its constituent parts in the strict sense, but a rehabilitation linking a memorial space that has been kept intact with new built structures.