Rabat – Ali Amahan, Moroccan anthropologist and professor at INSAP (Institut National des Sciences de l’Archéologie et du Patrimoine), was honored at the Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art on Monday. The event was orchestrated by Mehdi Qotbi, the president of the National Foundation of Museums (FNM) of Morocco. It sought to celebrate the rich legacy of Amahan as a professor, an anthropologist, and an advocate for Moroccan heritage.
Amahan is one of Morocco’s major figures in anthropology and ethnology. He is an advocate for the promotion and preservation of Moroccan cultural heritage through his countless charity works, PhD research with a case study focusing on the community he grew up in, and multiple roles as curator, delegate, or head for cultural institutions.
Throughout his professional journey, he held various positions: curator of Al Bath and Borj Nord in Fez, regional delegate of the Ministry of Culture, head of national museum network, heritage inspector, chief of staff at the Ministry of Culture and Communication, and coordinator of the “Community Reparation” project at the CDG Foundation. He was also a member of the Board of Directors of the Royal Institute of Amazigh Culture (IRCAM), as well as the Higher Council for Education, Training, and Scientific Research (CSEFRS).
The ceremony had a diverse audience of academics and scholars, celebrating the inspirational contributions of Amahan in both the academic and the social spheres. Several figures, colleagues, and former students, shared their personal testimonies on their inspirational interactions with Amahan.
In an interview with Morocco World News (MWN) on the sidelines of the event, writer and former minister of culture Mohammed Achaari said in the panel that Amahan influenced him personally throughout his studies, and that his contributions have enriched Moroccan anthropological studies and cultural activism as a whole.
Achaari spoke highly of Amahan, saying that he is a“distinguished Moroccan intellectual who profoundly combined scientific research, cultural institution management, and development work in rural places in Morocco.”
Former Olympic hurdler and former member of Morocco’s House of Representatives, Nawal El Moutawakel, described Amahan to MWN as a “super hero and a special friend.” Their friendship began in 2000 when they were both working on social initiatives in his village Ait-Iktal.
She stated that Amahan is a “person who believed deeply in his ideas.” After returning from university in Europe, “he refused for his people to live the way he lived,” referring to his difficult childhood. “He wanted to give back to his community.” Recalling the first time she met him, El Moutawakel said, “I saw in him the man who I could believe… I was really impressed by the way he talked, the way he behaved, the way he advised, and the way he was sharing ideas.”
“Today… I’m here to pay tribute to him, to pay my high respect, love, dedication, and friendship to him,” crediting him as the one who brought to light the struggles of Morocco’s rural areas.
During the event, Amahan expressed to MWN his delight and gratitude towards all the attendees. He emphasized the importance of preserving Moroccan heritage: “Young people will one day bear the responsibility of carrying it forward. They should benefit from it, protect it, and support it so future generations can enjoy it too.”
He added, “Older generations also have a duty to show young people the importance of heritage, especially their own. People must preserve their own heritage; no one else will preserve it for them.”
