Moroccan Ministry of Culture Utilizes Official Poster Featuring Algerian Prince, Woman Wearing Traditional Attire “Al-Haik” to Promote Local Cultural Event
BY: Dr. Hana Saada
ALGIERS- In a recent development characterized by historical misrepresentation and appropriation of heritage, the Moroccan Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Communication released an official poster promoting a local cultural event, but unfortunately, it used purely Algerian content.
The poster promotes an event titled “Nostalgia: Nights of Badi” aimed at showcasing artistic performances related to the history of the Badi Palace in Marrakech, within the framework of the program “Marrakech, Capital of Culture in the Islamic World for the year 2024,” under the auspices of King Mohammed VI.
However, Moroccan authorities insisted on distorting history in this “grand” event by using an official poster featuring a composite image depicting the Badi Palace in Marrakech, with a person in traditional attire seemingly Moroccan standing at its gate. Close to this figure are two Moroccan women, or so the poster suggests. However, one of them is wearing the traditional Algerian “haik” with all its distinctive details and designs, which represents a registered symbol of Algeria’s rich and authentic heritage deeply rooted in our history.
The scandal was exposed by an Algerian artist passionate about his country’s rich heritage, who posted photographs showing him in Algerian traditional attire at heritage sites. It became clear to him that the figure standing in front of the Badi Palace in Marrakech was not a Moroccan heritage figure promoted by the Moroccan Ministry of Culture but himself.
The stolen image belongs to this Algerian artist, which he shared on his social media accounts under the name Deezy_thekid, depicting an Algerian prince during his visit to the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain.
However, it seems that the Ministry of Culture in the Moroccan government had a different opinion and chose to “Moroccanize” a purely Algerian heritage. They opted for an image of an Algerian young man in his traditional attire and an Algerian woman wearing the authentic traditional haik, placing them on their “official” poster that supposedly celebrates history, while its creators seek to “introduce Marrakech’s history.”
It is worth mentioning that this is not the first time the Moroccan government has infringed on authentic Algerian culture and appropriated its historical popular heritage. They have previously claimed ownership of Algerian heritage in various fields such as traditional attire, cuisine, music, and architecture. The issue of Algerian mosaic art emerged after the national team wore a shirt bearing this traditional Algerian art, causing a major uproar that even reached Adidas, the shirt manufacturer. Adidas confirmed that they based the design on scientific historical evidence proving that mosaic art is an authentic Algerian heritage.
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