TROGLODYTE ARCHITECTURE Safeguarding, Valorization and Sustainable development Tome 1

Abstract

Giving the current recognition of the importance of the vernacular architecture that insures energy-efficient and environmentally friendly, the troglodyte architectural heritage, which has been for a long time considered as an unsuitable habitation architecture, shows actually ecological qualities and interesting architectural and cultural proprieties. The South Tunisian troglodyte architecture is one of the precious and representative heritage in South Mediterranean area. It represents a result of human creative genius,
using local natural resources for surviving in an extreme environment. In 2020, this architecture was been included into the Unesco World Heritage Tentative List. Despite this, South Tunisian Troglodyte dwellings are abandoned. Few of their inhabitants
are still living in their surroundings. Only few caves of these troglodytes were folklorically restored for touristic visits. Although, this cultural heritage has remained relatively safe from human degradation and damage for a long time, today it is increasingly exposed to multiple threats that seriously affect it (Khannoussi 2009). The current publication is intended to be an effective contribution to the state of art, to the safeguarding, the valorization and the sustainable development of troglodyte sites, and to the preparation of the nomination file of this architectural heritage for its inscription into the Word Heritage List of Unesco ( WHL).