Borj Belkari: The Revival of a Historic Bastion in the Modern Era

At the National Foundation of Museums (NFM), heritage is no longer merely preserved: it is reimagined and managed as a living worksite, where history and contemporary practice intersect. A non-profit institution with legal personality and financial autonomy, the NFM acts on behalf of the State with a clear mandate: to administer, manage, and safeguard its museums while putting in place modern governance aligned with efficiency standards and international best practices.

Borj Belkari is a perfect illustration. A 17th-century rammed-earth bastion built under the reign of Moulay Ismaïl, it forms part of the defensive system of the imperial kasbah of Meknès. Listed as a historic monument in 1932, it was converted in the early 2000s into a pottery museum showcasing ceramics from the Rif and pre-Rif—evidence of an ancestral craft long relegated to the margins of the national museum narrative. Closed today, it remains a place where military past and artisanal heritage converge, a monument awaiting rehabilitation, where every wall still tells its story.

The project is ready to begin. Sixty days are предусмотрен for contract award notification after the opening of bids, unless an extension is granted in accordance with the public procurement decree. The bid opening is scheduled for Friday, 27 February, at the Foundation’s headquarters—where the course is set before the work comes to life. The estimated cost, set by the contracting authority, is 96,000 MAD, a budget designed to combine technical rigor with heritage ambition.

The contract covers the full scope of works: securing threatened structures, restoring façades and foundations, waterproofing treatment, upgrading utility networks, and heritage fit-out and restoration. The list is not exhaustive, but it reflects the scale of a project in which each intervention balances technical precision with respect for the site, giving Borj Belkari new life without betraying its history.