10.48255/1973-9494.JCSCH.21.2021.03
Le costruzioni realizzate con la terra, in particolare lo ksour di Saoura in Algeria, ci offrono gioielli architettonici e urbani ed esempi dell’ingegno umano che mostrano come le comunità del passato abbiano saputo adattarsi alle difficili caratteristiche della regione e integrarsi nel particolare ecosistema dell’oasi. Ksar Taghit (un villaggio oasi fortificato) è un esempio eccezionale di questa sapiente architettura e un modello di resistenza ai vari rischi naturali e antropici. Nel tempo si sono succeduti diversi progetti di conservazione e valorizzazione e considerevoli sforzi da parte dei suoi abitanti per dare valore a tale patrimonio e aprire il sito ai visitatori. Attraverso questo studio, basato su documenti d’archivio, osservazioni, interviste e fotografie che mostrano lo stato del villaggio, si vogliono presentare i programmi di conservazione intrapresi nella regione e la volontà degli abitanti per la valorizzazione di tale patrimonio architettonico. Questo articolo, che fa parte di una tesi di dottorato in corso, si propone di presentare gli interventi degli abitanti per la conservazione dei valori culturali e identitari del luogo. Al di là dell’aspetto materiale relativo alla conservazione, ci si pone la domanda se gli sforzi intrapresi siano sufficienti a rendere operativo e dinamico questo patrimonio culturale.
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Conservation Science in Cultural Heritage
ksar Taghit
Conservation of earthen architecture: governmental actions and owners’ practices to preserve Ksar Taghit, Algeria
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Oussouby Sacko
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ksar Taghit
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Conservation of earthen architecture: governmental actions and owners’ practices to preserve Ksar Taghit, Algeria
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21
C    ONSERVATION OF EARTHEN ARCHITECTURE:
     GOVERNMENTAL ACTIONS AND OWNERS’ PRACTICES
     TO PRESERVE KSAR TAGHIT, ALGERIA

   Tinhinane Bachir-Cherif *, Messaoud Aiche
                               1




   Department of Architecture
   University Salah Boubnider Constantine 3, Algeria

   Oussouby Sacko
   Department of Liberal Arts, Faculty of Humanities
   Kyoto Seika University, Japan

   Keywords: earthen architecture, heritage, conservation, ksar Taghit

   DOI: 10.48255/1973-9494.JCSCH.21.2021.03




   1. Introduction

     Southern Algeria offers a wide variety of vernacular earthen architecture: simple
houses, granaries, palaces, religious buildings, urban centers, cultural landscapes and
archaeological sites and ksour… all of which play, each in its own way, a major role in
the expression and revelation of local identities and exemplify their diversity. The qual-
ity and durability of the building techniques, moreover, particularly affirm the ability of
the inhabitants of this region to develop strategies of adaptation to their environment.
     As everywhere in the world, the vernacular habitat in this area appears increasing-
ly threatened. The causes are both natural and human: climate change, flooding, nat-
ural aging, demographic pressure, expansion of the internal urban fabric, lack of main-
tenance, abusive remodeling by introducing incompatible materials, etc. These are the
causes that have pushed the inhabitants to leave their habitats for the new urban cen-
ters. Some, however, have remained, but have transformed their houses with the sole
purpose of satisfying the exigencies of current life.
     This situation has created a source of considerable concern for the actors in
charge of heritage protection: first its degradation, then the disappearance of the
built heritage with its original know-how, use of local resources, its adaptation to the
climate and its undeniable charm. To address this situation in Algeria, several opera-
tions of conservation and enhancement of the ksour (fortified oasis villages) have
been realized by the local authority. The inhabitants, for their part, have opted to pre-
serve and manage their own property, according to their personal capacities. In this
article, we will study the programs carried out by the government for the preservation
of the ksar Taghit. How have the owners proceeded to conserve their properties and
how have they benefited from them? Beyond the material aspect of this common
good, are the efforts undertaken sufficient to make this common heritage operation-
al and dynamic?


   * Corresponding author: bachircherif.tinhinane@gmail.com
                                                                                                                                                              2. Methodology
T. Bachir-Cherif, M. Aiche, O. Sacko - Conservation of earthen architecture: governmental actions and owners’ practices to preserve Ksar Taghit, Algeria




                                                                                                                                                               To answer the questions raised, we first apprehended the subject by collecting ar-
                                                                                                                                                           chives relating to conservation and rehabilitation operations (studies, photos, manuals,
                                                                                                                                                           reports, plans, etc.) from the organizations concerned: the Directorate of Culture of Be-
                                                                                                                                                           char, the Directorate of Tourism and Crafts, the Chamber of Crafts and Trades, the Di-
                                                                                                                                                           rectorate of Urban Planning and Construction and the archives of the inhabitants. Then
                                                                                                                                                           we supported our collection of information by observation, taking photographs, and in-
                                                                                                                                                           terviewing the various actors, including residents, associations, architects, masons
                                                                                                                                                           and artisans, which allowed us to complete our documentation and to make an inven-
                                                                                                                                                           tory, in order to compare the content of the reports and studies that had been gathered,
                                                                                                                                                           with the material/physical reality in the field.


                                                                                                                                                              3. Presentation of the ksar Taghit

                                                                                                                                                              3.1. Integration and planning logic

                                                                                                                                                               Taghit is an oasis in the Saoura, a valley in southwestern Algeria that stretches
                                                                                                                                                           from Bechar to the limits of Touat and Gourara. It is located in the middle of the desert
                                                                                                                                                           along the ancient caravan routes linking the Maghreb to sub-Saharan Africa. Anchored
                                                                                                                                                           between the high dunes of the great western erg1, the trickling water of Oued2 Zousfa-
                                                                                                                                                           na and the rocky nature of Mont Baroun, its panorama has evolved, presenting a se-
                                                                                                                                                           ries of ksour, which reflect the genius and know-how of the ksourians3. These human
                                                                                                                                                           settlements have imposed themselves in this expanse of desert by defying the difficult
                                                                                                                                                           climatic conditions determined by the aridity, the high temperatures, the irregular pre-
                                                                                                                                                           cipitations, and the low density of its vegetation.
                                                                                                                                                               The oasis of Taghit is composed of several ksour distributed over five small settle-
                                                                                                                                                           ments: Taghit, Zaouiya El Fougania, Berrebi, Bakhti and Zaouia El Tahtania, with a
                                                                                                                                                           palm grove of more than 120,000 date palms extending over 20 km along the bank of
                                                                                                                                                           the Oued Zousfana [1].
                                                                                                                                                               The eponymous ksar (ksar Taghit) which is built in the neighborhood of the palm
                                                                                                                                                           grove, is practically the only witness of the millennial history of this oasis and was built
                                                                                                                                                           in the 14th century [2] in red earth, on a rocky plateau (Figure 1).




                                                                                                                                                                              Figure 1. A) Location of the ksar Taghit; B) view of site.


                                                                                                                                   96
     This ingenious center of life was cleverly built using mudbricks (toub)4 made by
local builders known as maallem, without the aid of architects or engineers. They
were builders who knew how to integrate the dwelling into the dune landscape by us-
ing a form which blended in perfectly with the reliefs and an ochre color derived from
the local materials. It is a compact urban center with a horizontal layout and fortified
by a rampart in brick and stone that was well-adapted to the rocky site. It is composed
of about 120 houses [3].
     The walls of the internal houses on the edge of the ksar are high and have few
openings to ensure the protection of the city by forming a kind of double rampart which
is pierced only by two main entrances: a southern entrance opens onto the public
square known as rahba. A second one to the east, which is more discreet, is reached
by means of some steps.
     The ksar has a ‘radio-concentric’ layout (i.e. a centre with concentrically and ra-
dially oriented streets), which is more or less regular, compared to medieval cities.
It is organized around a central mosque (jama’a) from which diverges a maze of al-
leys branching from the main street (darb) that become narrower (zgag) to provide
shade and shelter from the weather; these, in turn, lead to dead ends (dribat)
where the houses are located. The ksar has a public square, where its inhabitants
used to gather and hold festivals; it is called tadjmiit, and serves two other smaller
squares: one at the southern entrance of the ksar, called the mouth of the ksar
(foum leksar), which contains a fountain; and the second, called lemjizra, which
was used for sheep sacrifices. There is also another meeting point - the well - which
is reached by descending some stone steps; the ksourians had first dug it outside
the rampart, but later surrounded it with a wall which joined the rock on which the
ksar is built, so that it became an integral part of it and was protected during inva-
sions (Figure 2).
     For its representative values of an authentic culture and the exceptional interaction
with its environment, ksar Taghit has been classified as a national architectural heri-




                                                                                                           CONSERVATION SCIENCE IN CULTURAL HERITAGE
tage site since 19995.




Figure 2. Ksar Taghit, architectural and urban know-how: A) alley - zgag; B) public square - rahba;
C) external wall of a house forming a double rampart; D) main entrance; E) collective well;
F) mosque - jama’a.


                                                                                                      97
                                                                                                                                                              3.2. Conservation state of the ksar
T. Bachir-Cherif, M. Aiche, O. Sacko - Conservation of earthen architecture: governmental actions and owners’ practices to preserve Ksar Taghit, Algeria




                                                                                                                                                                This human settlement, which has resisted the natural hazards of the area, has
                                                                                                                                                           been threatened for decades. The factors of degradation are multiple: the natural age-
                                                                                                                                                           ing of the constructions and structures, the fungal diseases and the mycoses (bou-
                                                                                                                                                           fraoua, bayoud) which affect the palm trees used in the structure, the wind erosion and
                                                                                                                                                           the climatic change responsible for the disappearance of the vegetal cover that has
                                                                                                                                                           generated desertification. However, the erosive actions of water remain the major en-
                                                                                                                                                           emy of this earthen architecture. The infiltration of rainwater, frost, violent and unex-
                                                                                                                                                           pected floods, the capillary rise generated by soil moisture, are the many causes of the
                                                                                                                                                           lesions and deficits found on the buildings, the degradation of the structure, the cracks
                                                                                                                                                           in the walls, the detachment and blistering of coatings. In addition to the fact that earth-
                                                                                                                                                           en architectures are considered as constructions for the poor, these degradation fac-
                                                                                                                                                           tors project an image of fragility, danger and unsustainability [4] that weakens confi-
                                                                                                                                                           dence in the material (Figure 3).
                                                                                                                                                                Community efforts and the exploitation of human genius have always found relevant
                                                                                                                                                           solutions to deal with natural risks. However, it is undoubtedly the anthropic factors that
                                                                                                                                                           have most affected this ancestral heritage: the often destitute populations, attracted by
                                                                                                                                                           the advantages of contemporaneity, abandon their habitat when they do not operate
                                                                                                                                                           abusive remodeling, a situation that has resulted in a lack of maintenance in sanitation
                                                                                                                                                           systems, problems in the provision of drinking water, the use of standardized and
                                                                                                                                                           non-compatible materials, the stealing of materials, and the demolition of the traditional
                                                                                                                                                           house to rebuild in concrete. Faced with the lack of qualified masons and the disappear-
                                                                                                                                                           ance of traditional building skills, the preservation of this heritage remains a challenge.


                                                                                                                                                              3.3. State of the ksourian society

                                                                                                                                                                Some researchers, such as Bendjelid, refer the disappearance of traditional prac-
                                                                                                                                                           tices and the lack of qualified masons to the transformation of the social structure of
                                                                                                                                                           the oasis towns. After the application of the agrarian reform by H. Boumediene6, based
                                                                                                                                                           essentially on the elimination of all forms of exploitation of the people, ownership of the
                                                                                                                                                           land was returned to those who worked it. For this purpose, the harratine7, bearers of
                                                                                                                                                           the know-how, which ensured in the past the maintenance and the continuity of the oa-
                                                                                                                                                           sis system, were released and no longer worked for the chorfas and mrabtine8, owners
                                                                                                                                                           of the land [5].
                                                                                                                                                                On the one hand, this policy allowed the harratines to appropriate agricultural land,
                                                                                                                                                           but it destroyed the social links, the hierarchy and the composition of the oasis commu-
                                                                                                                                                           nity, so they don’t work anymore for the chorfas and the mrabtines. In the same way,
                                                                                                                                                           the new administrative division and the creation of a new administration has motivated
                                                                                                                                                           individuals to open up to other horizons in search of a stable income, thus subtracting
                                                                                                                                                           from the primary sector in favor of the secondary and tertiary sectors and undermining
                                                                                                                                                           the vocation of each individual in the oasis community.
                                                                                                                                                                On the other hand, the migratory movement towards the big cities in the north
                                                                                                                                                           and the appearance of the agricultural socialist village [6] have influenced the behav-
                                                                                                                                                           ior, vision and lifestyle of the Saharan community, notably in the form of their con-
                                                                                                                                                           struction and their definition of “comfort”, thus harming the authenticity of the oasis’
                                                                                                                                                           built environment. As for the ksour, they are only the witnesses of an identity in the
                                                                                                                                                           process of disappearing.


                                                                                                                                   98
   Figure 3. Ksar at Taghit, state of conservation: A) an abandoned house; B) a ruined entity.



   4. Conservation and enhacement of ksar Taghit

   4.1. Action undertaken by the government

    Ksar Taghit has been the subject of several preservation programs under the su-
pervision of different organizations (the National Agency for Territorial management,
the Directorate of Culture under the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of the Interior and
Local Government).
    • During the period 1997-1998 a study of the development of the ksar was carried
       out following the opening of the procedure of classification of the ksour Taghit
       and Kenadsa. The study was programmed in two phases: the first under the di-
       rection of the National Agency of Territorial Management [7]; the second one
       was elaborated by the Directorate of Culture of Bechar [8]. The aims of this study




                                                                                                      CONSERVATION SCIENCE IN CULTURAL HERITAGE
       were: to highlight the interest of each element forming and structuring the ksour
       proposed for classification, to highlight their functions, their organization, and
       their mode of operation; then, to establish an in-depth inventory and to organize
       surveys among the inhabitants to identify their concerns; finally, to identify the
       priority interventions to be undertaken to ensure the development of the ksour
       and the integration of their inhabitants [9]. As a result, three ksour, Taghit, Ke-
       nadsa and Beni-Abbes, were classified as national heritage sites in 1999 [10].
    • In 2001-2003, the program “grand sud” was launched, under the direction of the
       FSDRS program (Special Fund for the Development of the Southern Regions)
       in partnership with the DUC of Bechar (Directorate of Urban Planning and Con-
       struction) [11]. This program aims to promote cultural, tourist, artistic and craft
       activities, and proposes operations to protect and enhance the natural environ-
       ment, and archaeological and architectural heritage. It was carried out by Mai-
       za architecture studio according to administrative procedures (public tender,
       submission, choice of the lowest tender offered) according to well-defined spec-
       ifications, established by the local authorities. This project supports operations
       to protect and enhance the natural environment, flora, fauna, archaeological,
       historical and architectural heritage; operations to revitalize oasis spaces and
       the traditional irrigation systems. As a result, several young people have been
       trained in the craft and traditional construction of these elements and then reg-
       istered in the list of artisans of the Chamber of Crafts with the issue of crafts-


                                                                                                 99
                                                                                                                                                                   manship. The project also includes the rehabilitation of several other parts of
T. Bachir-Cherif, M. Aiche, O. Sacko - Conservation of earthen architecture: governmental actions and owners’ practices to preserve Ksar Taghit, Algeria



                                                                                                                                                                   the ksar (mosque, wells, ramparts, groups of houses, streets and alleys); the
                                                                                                                                                                   conversion of some houses into guest houses to accommodate tourists; in-
                                                                                                                                                                   creasing people’s sensitization and exchange of information by means of an
                                                                                                                                                                   itinerant exhibition. The programming of several workshops for discussion and
                                                                                                                                                                   training at the national and international scale (Figure 4).
                                                                                                                                                               •   2004 and 2007, the program “la route des ksour “ was set up by the Ministry
                                                                                                                                                                   of the Interior and Local Communities in partnership with the PNUD (United
                                                                                                                                                                   Nations Development Program) [13]. It takes up the ancient routes of the Sa-
                                                                                                                                                                   haran trade caravans and proposes the promotion of cultural tourism in the
                                                                                                                                                                   southern region of Algeria as a complementary economic activity for the re-
                                                                                                                                                                   gion. Similarly, it aims to fight effectively against the situation of precarious-
                                                                                                                                                                   ness of local populations and to save the local cultural and natural heritage
                                                                                                                                                                   [14]. Furthermore, it envisages the reinforcement of the capacities of the local
                                                                                                                                                                   actors, such as young people, the unemployed and women by involving them
                                                                                                                                                                   and giving them responsibilty in all the phases of the project [15]. Likewise,
                                                                                                                                                                   the strengthening of partnerships with local communities and cooperations
                                                                                                                                                                   through the establishment of a multidisciplinary exchange mechanism at the
                                                                                                                                                                   national, regional and international levels. To this end, several houses have
                                                                                                                                                                   been rehabilitated, and workshops, training in traditional crafts, awareness
                                                                                                                                                                   days, and information exhibitions on the importance of this heritage, have
                                                                                                                                                                   been organized [16].




                                                                                                                                                           Figure 4. Rehabilitation of the ksar at Taghit: A) a group of masons celebrate the achievement of
                                                                                                                                                           a house rehabilitation; B) production of earth bricks toub; C) wall construction; D) earth mixture;
                                                                                                                                                           E) F) G) and H) training and exchange program [12].


                                                                                                                                                               After 2007, conservation of the material heritage was awarded definitively to the Di-
                                                                                                                                                           rectorate of Culture of Bechar [17]. In the limited budget granted for the rehabilitation
                                                                                                                                                           of the ksour, the Directorate of Culture is focusing only on stabilizing the structure and
                                                                                                                                                           rehabilitating public spaces (Figure 5).


                                                                                                        100
Figure 5. Rehabilitation of the ksar at Taghit under the supervision of the Directorate of Culture:
A) plastering the exterior wall of the ksar; B) rehabilitation of the mosque; C) use of materials that
are incompatible with the earthen construction [18].




                                                                                                           CONSERVATION SCIENCE IN CULTURAL HERITAGE
    4.2. Owners’ practices to preserve the ksar

     The various interventions carried out by the state were, in the first place, a re-
sponse to the statements of the structural problems and then to the social require-
ments. Being the first person to be concerned about their property, a citizen is already
an actor in its preservation. Ownership gives them a sense of belonging and commu-
nity life within a vision of common interest. To this end, some programs have involved
citizens in the rehabilitation process, on the one hand, to renew fruitful relationships
with communities, in order to understand their needs and shape a common vision of
their problems. And on the other hand, to integrate an international vision through the
application of a citizen participation approach.
     In ksar Taghit, the programs carried out have opted for an effective approach. The cit-
izens have been integrated into several phases of the conservation process in different
ways, either by calling on master masons to train young people and integrate them into
the work on the site, thus teaching them a trade in danger of disappearing and offering
them a job, or by accompanying the inhabitants in the restoration of their old houses.
     The inhabitants, aware of the economic and touristic stakes, have sought sustainable
solutions to take advantage of their properties to obtain profits and incomes and to trans-
mit a good image of their region and their culture. Some of them have converted their
houses into artisan workshops to revitalize traditional handicrafts and revive the local
markets. Others have converted their houses into guesthouses (Figure 6) and tea-rooms


                                                                                                         101
                                                                                                                                                           (Figure 7), with restaurants that value the local cuisine, offering it in order to welcome
T. Bachir-Cherif, M. Aiche, O. Sacko - Conservation of earthen architecture: governmental actions and owners’ practices to preserve Ksar Taghit, Algeria



                                                                                                                                                           tourists and revitalize local tourism. Others again, have converted their houses into a li-
                                                                                                                                                           brary or a museum to renew the link between the inhabitants, especially children (Fig-
                                                                                                                                                           ure 8). In the same way, several workshops and open days were organized to sensitize
                                                                                                                                                           the citizens on the value and importance of the conservation of their Ksourian heritage.




                                                                                                                                                                              Figure 6. Transformation of a house into a guesthouse




                                                                                                                                                                                 Figure 7. Conversion of a house into a tea-room.


                                                                                                              102
Figure 8. Creation of a local library and a private archive center [19]: A) children enjoying an
exchange meeting around books; B) private archive center.



   5. Results and discussion

     The experiences of conservation and rehabilitation of ksar Taghit have proved
that it is possible to preserve this sensitive heritage and to slow down its degradation
by intervening on the built framework. However, and facing the reality of the current
context of the ksar, we cannot ignore the fact that this heritage is constantly threat-
ened by abandonment and destruction and that the rehabilitation of the built frame-
work alone is not enough to give it life, revitalize it and ensure the continuity of its
functioning.
      In order to preserve the image of the ksar, taking into account the requirements




                                                                                                     CONSERVATION SCIENCE IN CULTURAL HERITAGE
of contemporary lifestyle, it can be said that “façadism” has taken over in the major-
ity of the operations of conservation, at the expense of the interior space which has,
in most cases, been demolished. Today, the urban environment of the historic cen-
ters is interpreted essentially in terms of decoration embellishing new cities [20].
This trend of “museumification” of a space which was once a center that inspired
life, has transformed it into a place visited briefly during a Saharan safari. But at
what expense?
     “The interest that I carry to the built heritage, historical or not, must not, in no way,
be interpreted as a mark of pastism. I militate against all current forms of museumifica-
tion, but for a memorial practice that conditions innovation” [21].
     The restricted budget granted for the conservation of the ksar and the absence of
a deep and multidisciplinary strategy have reduced operations of rehabilitation to its
external envelope.The use of standardized materials, that are neither compatible with
the material earth nor with the climatic requirements of the region, such as cement,
parping and plastic for the waterproofing, have not only damaged the authenticity of
the built environment but also caused surcharge loads that have fried the structure and
prevented the earth, being a living material, from breathing (Figure 9). The non-respect
of the initial shape of the ksar and its components, and the demolition of certain dwell-
ings in order to build new constructions, have massively disfigured not only the soul of
this collective cultural asset, but also its authentic history, whose collective memory is
engraved in its alleys (Figure 10).


                                                                                                   103
T. Bachir-Cherif, M. Aiche, O. Sacko - Conservation of earthen architecture: governmental actions and owners’ practices to preserve Ksar Taghit, Algeria




                                                                                                                                                           Figure 9. Use of standardized materials not compatible with the material, earth: A) the barrier that
                                                                                                                                                           prevents the earth breathing; B) overloads that weaken the structure [22].




                                                                                                                                                           Figure 10. A) The main entrance is simple and modest and gives onto an exterior public place
                                                                                                                                                           without ornamentation [23]; B)rehabilitation has changed its form and now appears as in figure B.


                                                                                                                                                                However, the biggest problem of the rehabilitation remains the absence of qualified
                                                                                                                                                           masons and the disappearance of the traditional construction culture, except for a
                                                                                                                                                           number of new masons who claim to have knowledge in this field, while the inadequate
                                                                                                                                                           preparation of mud bricks and plaster, the use of untreated palm trunks and the failure
                                                                                                                                                           to respect the requirements of earthen construction, have only accelerated the destruc-
                                                                                                                                                           tion of the ksar.
                                                                                                                                                                In the face of the negligence of the laws 98-04 [24] relating to the protection of cul-
                                                                                                                                                           tural heritage, and the absence of charters and the national norms on earthen con-
                                                                                                                                                           struction, this destruction will continue. Neglecting thus the cultural values and authen-
                                                                                                                                                           tic identity of this common heritage and ignoring the social dynamics, which were once
                                                                                                                                                           the engine of its stability, its perenniality and the social cohesion of its community.


                                                                                                                                                               6. Conclusion

                                                                                                                                                                The classification of the ksar at Taghit as a national heritage site, as well as the ben-
                                                                                                                                                           efit of several rehabilitation operations have certainly played a significant role in its con-
                                                                                                                                                           servation and its enhancement, compared to other ksour of the Saoura. However, the re-
                                                                                                                                                           habilitation of the physical framework alone without respecting the historical and cultural
                                                                                                                                                           value of the ksar and without taking into consideration the requirements of the earthen
                                                                                                                                                           constructions, are not sufficient to ensure its continuity, sustainability and functioning.


                                                                                                         104
   In order to preserve the authentic value of the ksour, it is necessary to put in place
long and short-term sustainable strategies based on reliable in-depth documentation
and to valorize traditional building cultures, to involve the Ksourian community in all
phases of the operations and promote the oasis ecosystem. The respect of its original
form, the traditional building materials and the requirements of the region and the
Ksourian community, are key elements for the success of any intervention.
   This study provides several scientific perspectives regarding the problem of con-
servation and the enhancement of local building cultures, as well as the introduction of
new technologies in the documentation of traditional architectures and conservation
operations.


      Acknowledgments

   The authors would like to thank Salima Mazri-Badjadja for her observations and
guidance in carrying out this work; Professor Joseph Brunet-Jailly for his review and
constructive remarks; and Mouad Balegh for his support.


      Notes
      1
       Flat area of desert covered with wind-swept sand.
      2
       Oued refers to river in arabic.
     3
       Ksourian, inhabitats of the ksar.
     4
       Toub in arabic, adobe in Spanish and baco in subsaharien countries: clay which,
mixed with water and a small amount of chopped straw or other binder, can be shaped
into sun-dried bricks
     5
       Order of 24 Rajab 1420 corresponding to November 3, 1999, concerning the clas-
sification of historical monuments and sites.




                                                                                                 CONSERVATION SCIENCE IN CULTURAL HERITAGE
     6
       The second President of Algeria.
     7
       A group of indigenous dark skinned Africans inhabiting parts of North Africa and
the Sahel, who work for the other classes of the society.
     8
       They are the descendants of the Prophet Mouhamed and his daughter Fāṭima.


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T. Bachir-Cherif, M. Aiche, O. Sacko - Conservation of earthen architecture: governmental actions and owners’ practices to preserve Ksar Taghit, Algeria



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                                                                                                                                                                 Biographical notes

                                                                                                                                                               Tinhinane Bachir-Cherif is a Ph. D student in architectural, urban and landscape
                                                                                                                                                           heritage at the University of Salah Boubnider, Constantine3, Algeria, from which she
                                                                                                                                                           obtained her master’s degree in urban design. She is currently doing her doctoral the-
                                                                                                                                                           sis on the identification and enhancement of earthen know-how in the south-western
                                                                                                                                                           region of Algeria. Her research interests centre around earthen and vernacular heri-
                                                                                                                                                           tage in Africa. She has published some papers on earthen architecture and the use of
                                                                                                                                                           the local construction know-how. Over the past few years, she has participated in a
                                                                                                                                                           range of workshops, national and international conferences, and competitions and has
                                                                                                                                                           volunteered in projects related to community development and the rehabilitation of
                                                                                                                                                           earthen heritage. She is a member of a research project, finaned by Kyoto seika uni-
                                                                                                                                                           versity in Japan, concerning the identification of construction know-how of earthen ar-


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chitecture in five countries in Africa led by Oussouby Sacko (President of Kyoto Seika
University), and other members, such as Deop Alfa (Vice President of ICOMOS), and
other members from Japan and China. She is also a member of many scientific asso-
ciations such as ICOMOS INTERNATIONAL, ICOMOS-ISCEAH and the Life Beyond
Tourism movement, which promotes international travel and dialogue between peo-
ples across the world (Florence, Italy).

    Messaoud Aiche is currently a professor at the University of Salah Boubnider,
Constantine3, Algeria. He obtained a Bachelor Degree in Architecture from the Univer-
sity of Constantine, Algeria. and a Master from the University of Sheffield, England,
and PhD in Architecture from the University of Constantine, Algeria. He has occupied
many administrative posts at several universities; he is a member of the Scientific
Committee of the Department of Architecture at Constantine University; and of the doc-
toral training committee at Constantine University and is responsible for the architec-
ture education team at the same university.

    Oussouby Sacko is a Professor at the Department of Liberal Arts, Faculty of Hu-
manities at Kyoto Seika University, Japan; he was Dean of the Faculty from April 2013
until March 2017. He is currently President of Kyoto Seika University (since April 2018).
He is also an affiliate of the Graduate School of Humanities and the Graduate School
of Design (Architecture). Born in Mali (Bamako), he went to China (Beijing and Nan-
jing) after graduating from High School to pursue his education in the field of Architec-
ture. He got a Bachelor’s Degree from the South-East University (Dongnan Daxue),
Nanjing China. He is a member of the Ordre des Architectes du Mali (OAM) and a
member of many scientific associations such as: The Architectural Institute of Japan
(AIJ), Architectural Design Association of Nippon (ADAN), The City Planning Institute
of Japan (CPIJ), the Japan Association for African Studies (JAAS), the Society for the
Study of Early Modern Kyoto, the International Union of Anthropological and Ethnolog-




                                                                                                CONSERVATION SCIENCE IN CULTURAL HERITAGE
ical Sciences (IUAES), ICOMOS-MALI, ICOMOS-ISCARSAH, ICOMOS-ISCEAH and
many others. He has conducted field research and worked on housing planning, poli-
cy and design in Mali and Japan. Recently, his main interest has been in community
architecture, community re-design and architecture conservation, restoration in histor-
ical cites. He has recently conducted field studies in Japan, China, Mali, Mauritania’s
historical cities, Burkina Faso and Niger.


   Summary

     Earthen architecture, notably the ksour of Saoura in Algeria, offers us architectural
and urban jewels, and inspiring lessons of human ingenuity showing how past commu-
nities had to adapt to the difficult characteristics of the region and integrate themselves
into the sensitive and demanding oasis ecosystem. Ksar Taghit (a fortified oasis vil-
lage) is an exceptional model of this knowledgeable architecture and an example of re-
sistance to the various natural and anthropic risks it has experienced over time due to
the various conservation and enhancement programs and the efforts of its inhabitants
to enhance their heritage and open it to visitors. Through this study, based on archival
documents, and supported by observations and interviews with various actors and
photographs showing the state of the ksar, we intend to present the conservation pro-
grams undertaken in the region and the impact of the efforts of the inhabitants on the


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                                                                                                                                                           conservation of this property. This article, which is part of a doctoral thesis in progress,
T. Bachir-Cherif, M. Aiche, O. Sacko - Conservation of earthen architecture: governmental actions and owners’ practices to preserve Ksar Taghit, Algeria



                                                                                                                                                           aims to present the impact of supervised rehabilitation and owners’ practices on the
                                                                                                                                                           conservation of cultural values and the authentic spirit of the place. Going beyond the
                                                                                                                                                           material aspect of the conservation, the question arises about whether the efforts un-
                                                                                                                                                           dertaken are sufficient to make this common heritage operational and dynamic.


                                                                                                                                                              Riassunto

                                                                                                                                                                Le costruzioni realizzate con la terra, in particolare lo ksour di Saoura in Algeria, ci
                                                                                                                                                           offrono gioielli architettonici e urbani ed esempi dell’ingegno umano che mostrano come
                                                                                                                                                           le comunità del passato abbiano saputo adattarsi alle difficili caratteristiche della regione
                                                                                                                                                           e integrarsi nel particolare ecosistema dell’oasi. Ksar Taghit (un villaggio oasi fortificato)
                                                                                                                                                           è un esempio eccezionale di questa sapiente architettura e un modello di resistenza ai
                                                                                                                                                           vari rischi naturali e antropici. Nel tempo si sono succeduti diversi progetti di conserva-
                                                                                                                                                           zione e valorizzazione e considerevoli sforzi da parte dei suoi abitanti per dare valore a
                                                                                                                                                           tale patrimonio e aprire il sito ai visitatori. Attraverso questo studio, basato su documen-
                                                                                                                                                           ti d’archivio, osservazioni, interviste e fotografie che mostrano lo stato del villaggio, si
                                                                                                                                                           vogliono presentare i programmi di conservazione intrapresi nella regione e la volontà
                                                                                                                                                           degli abitanti per la valorizzazione di tale patrimonio architettonico. Questo articolo, che
                                                                                                                                                           fa parte di una tesi di dottorato in corso, si propone di presentare gli interventi degli abi-
                                                                                                                                                           tanti per la conservazione dei valori culturali e identitari del luogo. Al di là dell’aspetto
                                                                                                                                                           materiale relativo alla conservazione, ci si pone la domanda se gli sforzi intrapresi sia-
                                                                                                                                                           no sufficienti a rendere operativo e dinamico questo patrimonio culturale.




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