For every mound of sand that appears a stone wall is being replaced by a concrete one.
Materiality and longevity are central to our understanding of historical heritage. The few elements from the past that we can feel and touch are precious ways to be able to relate to that past. What remains once all has been replaced, reused, reclaimed? This question is particularly sensitive in the medina of Tunis, a world Heritage site, that is continuously being rebuilt.
“The city grows, its population as well as its civilisation are expending. Construction materials, labor and craftsmanship are being refined, all this up to a certain point. Once this height is being achieved, the wealth and affluence starts to decrease. Consequently the habits of building robust and refined monuments is being lost. The labouring force and craftsmanship skills slowly disappear. Stones, marble and other construction materials are become scarce. People start to reclaim material from empty buildings. Stones from the monuments, houses and palaces are being reused indefinitely until everything wears out completely.”
Ibn Khaldûn , Al – Muqaddima 1377
