Rediscovering Marrakech Through the Eyes of Saïd Boukhli
A new literary work titled "Nostalgia: Tales from the Times of Marrakech" has been released by Dar Samah for Publishing in Sweden, authored by Moroccan researcher and writer Saïd Boukhli. This compelling collection comprises twenty-seven narrative texts spread over two hundred pages, revisiting the rich history, places, and contexts of ancient Marrakech as experienced by the author during his childhood and youth. Unfortunately, the city has now taken a completely different trajectory, severed from its deep-rooted cultural heritage, largely due to the relentless forces of globalization and its harsh liberalism. This transformation has warped the essence of the place into distorted forms devoid of senses and vitality, draining the core of humanity and stripping it of its meaningful existence.
In light of Marrakech's historical, cultural, and geographical significance, it ought to serve as a pivotal hub reflecting genuine civilization and urbanity on all levels, a model of human radiance that could be universally emulated. Sadly, a mere stroll through the city's alleys starkly reveals the fate of a city that has been let down by fortune. The publisher's note on the work captures this sentiment: "Saïd Boukhli resurrects the city as memory does, bringing back voices, scents, shadows, and faces that shaped his childhood and youth, leaving their imprint on the soul. These tales are not an official history but rather brief vignettes traversing between school, the old neighborhoods, buses, and the vibrant Jamaa el-Fna square. In these narratives, irony intertwines with bitterness, spectacle meets reality, and intimacy dances with the external world. The author writes about the everyday and the marginal, the symbolic violence embedded in language, and the transformations that have stripped the city of the warmth of its identity amidst the chaos and alienation. Amidst personal moments of loss and the realities of the street, a "small history" of Marrakech emerges, offering the reader an opportunity to ponder the meaning of place as it morphs into time, and the essence of time as it resides within us as an unyielding nostalgia.
As reported by alquds.co.uk.
