On 28, 29 and 30 of June, a FUNCI delegation headed by its Secretary General, Encarna Gutierrez visited the city of Marrakech, accompanied by her collaborators, the experts in restoration of historic gardens Manuel Casares and Jose Tito, from the University of Granada. The objective of this visit was to conduct the first field trip as part of the new project to restore the gardens of Agdal that FUNCI develops after the signing of a cooperation agreement with the Region of Marrakech, the Commune of Mechuar and the Institute of Agricultural Research (INRA), within the program Med-O-Med.
During the visit, the delegation had the opportunity to meet different actors of the Moroccan administration, with which it continues to present and analyze the different lines of action, exchange information and present the work plan that FUNCI and its collaborators are shaping. In addition, during the Festival of popular arts of Marrakech in the Badi Palace, FUNCI representatives were invited to enjoy traditional songs and dances from all over Morocco.
The gardens of the Agdal
Essential was to visit the gardens of Agdal, the subject of restoration. The days 28 and 29, accompanied by staff of the gardens and of different Moroccan experts as Mohammed El Faiz, Imane Thami Alami and Faisal Cherradi, part of the international working group, the delegation visited some of the more than 500 hectares of garden , among which are the two huge pools receiving water from the Atlas through qanats and intended mainly for irrigation of the property. It also visited the various buildings and agricultural areas used primarily to the cultivation of citrus fruits, six varieties of olive, fig and 33 varieties of pomegranates. Also, different industrial archeology remains embedded in the surrounding of the property and dating from the nineteenth century: a sugar factory and a cartridges factory, among others.
The delegation visited some of the more than 500 hectares of garden , among which are the two huge pools receiving water from the Atlas through qanats and intended mainly for irrigation of the property. I
The delegation also toured different gardens of the city, neighbors of the garden to be restored, such as the Menara Gardens and the restored Muley Abdessalam Park, known as the CyberPark.
After this visit will start an intense work of documentation with which the team formed by Spanish and Moroccan experts, seeks to know all the details from this historic space, and then propose the best options for the future use and management of this invaluable garden.
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