The Medina

The countries of the southern Mediterranean enjoy a rich and diverse cultural heritage. At the heart of this heritage lie the medinas - the historic city centres, often dating back to medieval times. A source of pride and collective belonging, they have nevertheless been subject to neglect and decay under the combined pressures of demographic growth, urbanization and modernization. At present, the historic city centres are in danger of being irreversibly marginalized. Even though the cultural heritage value of these historic city centres is now widely recognized, no coherent restoration policy is being implemented - only a number of historic monuments and prestigious building are being restored or converted into expensive hotels and restaurants. The dilemma between preserving the physical fabric of the medinas and protecting the social context remains unresolved. The Medina brings together a team of experienced professionals, including urban planners, architects, economists, sociologists, financial experts and representatives from international organizations and Mediterranean governments, to address the pressing problem of how to revitalise and restore the medinas in a sustainable way. Arguing for a comprehensive and integrated approach, the authors set out different scenarios for the development of these historic urban centres and strategies for their restoration. The first part of the book provides an introduction to the problems and issues involved in restoration. Importantly it does so against a backdrop of the economic, social and urban development that the countries are predicted to undergo. The second part provides examples of different medinas - including Damascus, Cairo, Meknes, Azzemmour - and presents important material on the financing of such initiatives. It is expected that by 2030 nearly 80 per cent of the inhabitants of the Mediterranean countries will live in towns. This represents an enormous challenge and suggests that the region's social and economic future will largely depend on management of the urban reality. Controlling the development of the heart of the towns and cities, and in particular the medinas, will play a vital role in preserving the cultural and social capital of the Mediterranean countries whilst retaining their considerable potential as attractions. This important and timely book presents a unique and pioneering contribution to realising that aim.

When a fellow agent inexplicably vanishes during a standard observation assignment in Morocco, the San Martín brothers are pulled, yet again, into a dark underworld of organized crime, drugs, and global intrigue. But in the seventh installment of Bonnie Ridley Kraft’s stunning suspense-thriller series, the stakes are higher than ever for covert operative Raúl San Martín, as the six-year-old boy he has come to love as a son is inadvertently dragged into a shocking morass of international corruption, underground rebellion, ethnic persecution, and ever-shifting allegiances. Raúl is left with no choice but to step back into a life he thought he had left behind. Slipping effortlessly into his old undercover role of a capriciously violent drug trafficker, Raúl races to disentangle the complicated web that connects the illicit activities of a Spanish drug lord, the fight for survival waged by an indigenous people against an oppressive government, and the disappearance of a missing agent who just might hold the key to the secrets Raúl is desperately seeking to unravel.

2020 Maxy Awards Finalist – Thriller Former Navy SEAL Cameron Lyle is transitioning to life as a husband, father and government contractor. But his thirst for adventure has driven him to a secret life of high-stakes crime that has gained the attention of the FBI. When a mysterious device is unearthed in the mountains of Bolivia, an ancient brotherhood emerges to offer Cameron the opportunity of a lifetime—to steal the greatest discovery in human history from a rogue cell of U.S. intelligence officers. As a beleaguered FBI agent closes in, and a team of deadly assassins hunt him down, Cameron leads his pursuers on a worldwide manhunt as he sets off to find the scientist who can explain it all. Secret societies, ancient technology and international espionage all converge in a journey that will ultimately test the bounds of reality.

'Clever, captivating and colourful; an absorbing thriller rich in atmosphere' Philip Gwynne Jones, author of The Venetian Game and Vengeance in Venice Death stalks the medina of Marrakech . . . Marrakech, August. It is the start of Ramadan, the hottest in memory. Among the few foreigners left in the sweltering city are a riad owner, her French boyfriend and an English girl whose bag has been stolen after a hen weekend. At the local commissariat 24-year old detective Karim Belkacem is struggling to fast while holding down two jobs to pay for his sister's wedding. On the day that the English girl comes to him for help, a Moroccan girl is found dead, her body dumped in a handcart. Investigating, Karim uncovers a world of shadowy predators and ancient secrets hidden behind the high walls of the medina.

This novel, banned shortly before publication in Sept '08 by Random House, attracting British and world-wide media attention, tells for the first time the moving but little known love story between Mohammed and his favoured wife Ai'sha. A wonderful fast-paced novel and an uplifting subject that readers from all religions will enjoy.