Effort to Rebuild Ancient Area of Tunis Holds Lessons

 

Leila Ben Gacem wants to rebuild an area in Tunisia known as the Medina of Tunis.

A local official in a village outside of the capital, Ben Gacem takes visitors to the ancient part of the city once known for specialized¹ workers.

"Historically, the Medina was the heart of trade...and art, and it is structured with many souks," she said, adding that each souk is used by one kind of craftsman³.

She said there are markets for coppersmiths, and for workers making Tunisia's famous chechia hat. The hat is exported to Libya and parts of Africa south of the Sahara Desert.

Ben Gacem is also an entrepreneur⁴ with an idea. She wants to save the Medina's ancient buildings. She also hopes to bring back trades that once supported the historic² area.

"Maybe the whole community will grow together," if investment in the area tries to bring in the whole community, she said.

This idea might help Tunisia's next government, which is still being organized three months after elections.

Tunisia is the only democracy to come out of the 2011 wave of popular protests in the Middle East known as The Arab Spring. The North African country is trying to give new life to its poor economy. It is also trying to fight the poverty that has pushed people to leave. Nearly 33 percent of Tunisia's young people do not have jobs. And yet, some craftsman in Medina are struggling to find and train workers.

A fading tradition

At his small shop, Mohammed Ben Sassi showed an old Quran he is working on. Its pages are drawn⁵ in blue and gold. Sixty-four-year-old Ben Sassi is the Medina's last bookbinder, a person who attaches covers to books.

"There's demand, but young people are no longer interested," Ben Sassi said.

He is not the only craftsman facing problems. Central Medina still has more than 500 artisan workshops. But, Ben Gacem's research has found that number is about half of what it was 50 years ago. She believes this is a great loss for the country's identity.

‘'Throughout history, Tunisians have worked with their hands," she said. "I can't imagine a Tunisian family that doesn't have an artisan."

There are many reasons for the decreasing number of artisans, Ben Gacem said. The country's failing economy and currency have made some quality materials very costly⁶, forcing artisans to look for other jobs.

Bringing back these trades might also bring back an important part of the economy: tourism.

Tourism has largely rebuilt Tunisia's beaches and deserts, but it has not yet touched the Medina. The area is recognized by the United Nations as a UNESCO World Heritage⁷ Site.

"We're not promoting Tunisia with all its wealth, especially in the tourism industry," Ben Gacem said. "We haven't communicated the best story. We have communicated the easiest story."

Rebuilding the Medina

First built more than 1,000 years ago, the Tunis Medina was rebuilt under president Zine el Abidine Ben Ali. The area suffered during the 2011 revolution that ousted⁸ him. Building rules were not followed, longtime residents left, people illegally moved into the old homes and Tunisians from the south came to the area.

However, the revolution also had a good effect," said architect Soulef Aouididi of the Medina Conservation Association. The association's headquarters is in a beautiful, 19th-century palace. Aouididi said new local groups are opening up. They show the Medina to school children.

Aouididi's organization also brings people from many different neighborhoods. She said the group wants to help keep the old buildings as well as rebuild communities.

Nearby, two guesthouses offer another kind of community development. Ben Gacem has rebuilt two old Medina mansions¹⁰ into small tourist hotels. Local people operate them, and buy their goods from local businesses.

Words in This Story

souk – n. a marketplace in North Africa or the Middle East

craftsman – n. a person who makes beautiful objects by hand

entrepreneur – n. a person who starts a business and is willing to risk loss in order to make money

Quran – n. the Muslim holy book

currency – n. the money that a country uses

tourism – n. the business of providing hotels, restaurants, entertainment, etc., for people who are traveling

promote – v. to encourage

mansion⁹ – n. a large house for someone wealthy

1 specialized   

adj.专门的，专业化的

参考例句：

• There are many specialized agencies in the United Nations.联合国有许多专门机构。
• These tools are very specialized.这些是专用工具。

2 historic   

adj.历史上著名的，具有历史意义的

参考例句：

• This is a historic occasion.这是具有重大历史意义的时刻。
• We are living in a great historic era.我们正处在一个伟大的历史时代。

3 craftsman   

n.技工，精于一门工艺的匠人

参考例句：

• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。
• The craftsman is working up the mass of clay into a toy figure.艺人把一团泥捏成玩具形状。

4 entrepreneur   

n.企业家，主办人

参考例句：

• The entrepreneur has become a news figure.这位企业家变成了新闻人物。
• The entrepreneur takes business risks in the hope of making a profit.企业家为追求利润而冒险。

5 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

6 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

7 heritage   

n.传统，遗产，继承物

参考例句：

• The ancient buildings are part of the national heritage.这些古建筑是民族遗产的一部分。
• We Chinese have a great cultural heritage.我们中国人有伟大的文化遗产。

8 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

9 mansion   

n.大厦，大楼；宅第

参考例句：

• The old mansion was built in 1850.这座古宅建于1850年。
• The mansion has extensive grounds.这大厦四周的庭园广阔。

10 mansions   

n.宅第，公馆，大厦( mansion的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Fifth Avenue was boarded up where the rich had deserted their mansions. 第五大道上的富翁们已经出去避暑，空出的宅第都已锁好了门窗，钉上了木板。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Oh, the mansions, the lights, the perfume, the loaded boudoirs and tables! 啊，那些高楼大厦、华灯、香水、藏金收银的闺房还有摆满山珍海味的餐桌！ 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹