The possibility of inscribing the village of Sidi Bou Said, universally renowned for its heritage, history and architecture, on the UNESCO World Heritage List was the focus of a working session chaired on Friday by Cultural Affairs Minister Hayet Guettat Guermazi, in the presence of Head of the Cultural Programme at the UNESCO Cluster Office for the Maghreb Karim Hendili. During the meeting, which was attended by representatives of the various stakeholders - the Ministries of Agriculture, the Environment and Public Works - as well as the Governorate and Municipality of Tunis, the minister underlined the need to join forces and embrace this collective national duty with a view to preserving this village, where the hill has been exposed for years to the risks of erosion and landslides that could affect neighbouring areas, notably the Ennejma Ezzahra Palace, home to the Centre of Arab and Mediterranean Music (CMAM). Sidi Bou Said boasts all the assets required to be preserved and developed from every point of view, which is why it is so important to prepare a technical file for submission to UNESCO as soon as possible, she added. Founded by the Phoenicians, Carthage-Sidi Bou Said is an extensive archaeological site located on a hill overlooking the Gulf of Tunis and the surrounding plain. Sidi Bou Said is part of the site of Carthage, classified as a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1979. However, UNESCO's instructions have been overridden by the urban development that has taken place from Sidi Bou Saïd to La Malga and Salammbô. Sidi Bou Said is a major tourist attraction, one of the most visited sites in the Mediterranean, welcoming up to 100,000 visitors a day at weekends and during the summer months. The economic activity of Sidi Bou Said is mainly based on tourism, with artisans earning their living from small trades. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse