Project to restore the archaeological amphitheatre of the Palais El-Jem
Monitoring the progress of the project to restore, safeguard and maintain the archaeological amphitheater of the Palais El Jem, historically known as the Theater of Tisidros, was the subject of a field visit led by His Excellency the Ambassador of the United States of America to Tunisia, Mr. Joey Hood, accompanied by the Director General of the Institut National du Patrimoine, Mr. Tarek El-Baccouche, on Monday, February 12, 2024 at the Théâtre Antique d’El Jem.
This project is part of a donation granted by the US Ambassadors Fund to the Institut National du Patrimoine since 2019, worth 1.5 million dinars, with the aim of enhancing human heritage, developing cultural tourism, fostering economic growth, preserving Tunisia’s cultural history, and ensuring its influence as an essential to human tissue.
The Presents toured the various wings of the El Jem Palace concerned by the restoration and maintenance work, before turning to the El Jem Museum for a mini working session during which a detailed overview of the project and its most important components was presented;
The final stages of this project are scheduled for completion in September 2024. The components of this Tunisian-American project are, in part, the restoration of the Roman amphitheatre of the El Jem palace and the maintenance of some of the cracked walls in accordance with recognized international standards, but it also includes the Panoramic Elevator, having obtained UNESCO approval, considering that it is a historical and cultural monument inscribed on the World Heritage List since 1979.
It is also envisaged that the intervention will include electrical and hydraulic aspects, in particular water drainage problems, as well as the artistic lighting project, sponsored by the Agency for Heritage Development and Cultural Promotion (AMVPPC).
Start of inspection and selection of wooden artefacts belonging to the Uqba Ibn Nafi mosque in Kairouan
As part of the follow-up work carried out by the design office in charge of the Tunisian-Saudi project concerning the Uqba Ibn Nafi mosque and its surroundings, work began on Wednesday, January 10, 2024 to remove the wood from the reserves of the National Heritage Institute in Oulad Farhan. These pieces will be studied and inspected by French specialists in wood staining and maintenance (Mr. Gilles Tournillon and Ms. Danièle Amoroso). The first inspection was carried out in the presence of National Heritage Institute researcher Jihad Souid, and will continue until January 18, 2024.
In parallel with the inspection work and the selection of the wooden archaeological pieces, the entrepreneur appointed by the Engineering office has begun to prepare a group of explorations in the vicinity of the mosque after having determined the location of the excavations, and he has been accompanied by the executives of the Institut National du Patrimoine in Kairouan.
