Marrakech, known as the gateway to the south, has an important body of traditional heritage, including the riâd (a large house with interior garden), the dâr (a house without a garden) and the douiria (a dwelling annexed to a riâd or a house).

The richness of its architecture and its way of life are the main reasons why the medina of Marrakech was chosen by the UNESCO in 1987 and listed as world heritage.

Since then, it has been the prime target for investors and individuals who have acquired buildings for commercial or domestic purposes, in the form of hostels or second homes.

Present-day statistics refer to approximately 600 houses that have been restored and are now in use.

Marrakech currently has one million inhabitants, of which 220,000 are concentrated in its Medina, in a surface area of 6.2 km2. The population density is as high as 350 inhabitants per hectare, a very high value. The Medina is surrounded by a historic town wall (10th century), 9 km in length.

The main architectural elements and socio-cultural and commercial activities are concentrated in the historic centre of Marrakech. The Medina has many different faces; it is at once a dormitory town, a shopping centre and a focus for tourism.

Main shopping street in the ASSALAM district of Marrakech	Residential back street in the ASSALAM district of Marrakech

The socio-economic structure of the local population of the Medina has changed due to social changes in the traditional Moroccan family, such as the ageing of the population, migration to the new districts outside the town walls that have developed all around the city, the problem of inheritance of traditional houses and the break-up of large families. This situation has given way to a new population that has emigrated from the country and other towns in Morocco.

Interior of a traditional house*

* Ground floor and 1st-floor balcony. View of the transformation of traditional balconies to create independent spaces for various families living in the same house.

Housing occupation is strongly conditioned by this new socio-economic structure. Habits of use and attitudes to the buildings have left a very obvious mark.

Interior of a traditional house *

* Construction of an open-air kitchen in the courtyard of the house to meet the needs of various families living in the same house.

The absence of legal protection of buildings or the difficulty of applying regulations, the humble social background of most of their occupants, the absence of a clear protection policy and demographic pressure have turned the Medina into a regional metropolis in spite of itself that is incapable of coping with the complex problems of maintenance and constant degradation.

Traditional balcony in a state of deterioration	Left, original balcony; opposite, transformed 1st-floor balcony

Excluding privately funded projects and the modest efforts of the city of Marrakech to renew paving and embellish its façades in response to an external need (tourism), the heart of the Medina is silently falling into disrepair.