Mohamed El Aziz Ben Achour (

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

: محمد العزيز بن عاشور) is a Tunisian politician and historian born on 5 January 1951; he specializes in urban, social and cultural history of modern

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

and the Islamic civilization. He was the Minister of Culture some time between 2004 and 2008, and later Director-General of the

Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization The Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) is a Tunis-based institution of the Arab League, established in accordance with article 3 of the Arab Cultural Unity Charter by an announcement made in Cairo, Egypt, o ...

(ALECSO) some time between 2009 and 2013.

Life

He was Director of Heritage Sciences at the National Heritage Institute and later Director-General o
Institut supérieur d'histoire du mouvement national
(French for "The Higher Institute of History of the National Movement") as well as Governor of Historic Site at

Sidi Bou Said Sidi Bou Said ( ar, سيدي بو سعيد ') is a town in northern Tunisia located about 20 km from the capital, Tunis. Named for a religious figure who lived there, Abu Said al-Baji, it was previously called Jabal el-Menar. The town it ...

at the same time. He also served as Municipal Councillor for the

Democratic Constitutional Rally The Democratic Constitutional Rally or Democratic Constitutional Assembly ( ar, التجمع الدستوري الديمقراطي ', french: Rassemblement Constitutionnel Démocratique, sometimes also called Constitutional Democratic Rally in E ...

Tunis ''Tounsi'' french: Tunisois , population_note = , population_urban = , population_metro = 2658816 , population_density_km2 = , timezone1 = CET , utc_offset1 ...

for some time between 1995 and 2000, and later became Deputy Mayor of

Tunis ''Tounsi'' french: Tunisois , population_note = , population_urban = , population_metro = 2658816 , population_density_km2 = , timezone1 = CET , utc_offset1 ...

until 2005. In November 2004, he was appointed Minister of Culture in the First cabinet of

Mohamed Ghannouchi Mohamed Ghannouchi ( ar, محمد الغنوشي ''Muhammad Al-Ghannushi''; born 18 August 1941) is a Tunisian politician who was Prime Minister of Tunisia from 1999 to 2011. Regarded as a technocrat, Ghannouchi was a long-standing figure in the ...

and remained at the head of the ministry until August 2008. In December of the same year, he was elected Director-General of the

for a four-year period that started on February 1, 2009.

Education

Mohamed El Aziz belongs to the Ben Achour family, an ancient bourgeois family in

Tunis ''Tounsi'' french: Tunisois , population_note = , population_urban = , population_metro = 2658816 , population_density_km2 = , timezone1 = CET , utc_offset1 ...

which descends from

Andalusia Andalusia (, ; es, Andalucía ) is the southernmost autonomous community in Peninsular Spain. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomous community in the country. It is officially recognised as a "historical nationality". The t ...

. He is the grandson of Sheikh Muhammad al-Tahir ibn Ashur, and the son of Abdelmalek Ben Achour and Radiya Al-Jaluli. He obtained a master's degree in history from Tunis University, then a degree in scientific studies, followed by a Ph.D. in Islamic civilization in 1977, and another in humanities in 1986, all from the

Sorbonne Sorbonne may refer to: * Sorbonne (building), historic building in Paris, which housed the University of Paris and is now shared among multiple universities. *the University of Paris (c. 1150 – 1970) *one of its components or linked institution, ...

Main publications

* ''Le musée du Bardo : hier et aujourd'hui, 1888-1988'' (with Mounira Harbi-Riahi & Samia El Mechat), ed. Institut national d'archéologie et d'art,

Tunis ''Tounsi'' french: Tunisois , population_note = , population_urban = , population_metro = 2658816 , population_density_km2 = , timezone1 = CET , utc_offset1 ...

(1988). * ''L'Habitat traditionnel dans les pays musulmans autour de la Méditerranée : l'héritage architectural'' (with Jacques Revault & Jean-Claude Garcin), ed. Institut français d'archéologie orientale,

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

(1988). * ''Catégories de la société tunisoise dans la deuxième moitié du XIXe siècle'', ed. Institut national d'archéologie et d'art,

Tunis ''Tounsi'' french: Tunisois , population_note = , population_urban = , population_metro = 2658816 , population_density_km2 = , timezone1 = CET , utc_offset1 ...

(1989). * ''Les ulamâ à Tunis aux XVIIIe et XIXe siècles'', ed. Institut national d'archéologie et d'art,

Tunis ''Tounsi'' french: Tunisois , population_note = , population_urban = , population_metro = 2658816 , population_density_km2 = , timezone1 = CET , utc_offset1 ...

(1991) (reissue ed. ANRT,

Lille Lille ( , ; nl, Rijsel ; pcd, Lile; vls, Rysel) is a city in the northern part of France, in French Flanders. On the river Deûle, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France region, the prefecture of the N ...

). * ''La mosquée-université de la Zitouna. Le monument et les hommes'', ed. CERES Publications,

Tunis ''Tounsi'' french: Tunisois , population_note = , population_urban = , population_metro = 2658816 , population_density_km2 = , timezone1 = CET , utc_offset1 ...

(1991) * ''Les décorations tunisiennes d'époque husseïnite'', ed. Sagittaire Publications,

Tunis ''Tounsi'' french: Tunisois , population_note = , population_urban = , population_metro = 2658816 , population_density_km2 = , timezone1 = CET , utc_offset1 ...

(1994) * ''Les Arabes: du message à l'histoire'' (with André Miquel & Dominique Chevallier), ed. Fayard,

(1995) () * ''Le Bardo, palais des beys de Tunis'', ed. Sagittaire Publications,

Tunis ''Tounsi'' french: Tunisois , population_note = , population_urban = , population_metro = 2658816 , population_density_km2 = , timezone1 = CET , utc_offset1 ...

(2000) * ''La cour du bey de Tunis'', ed. Espace Diwan Publications,

Tunis ''Tounsi'' french: Tunisois , population_note = , population_urban = , population_metro = 2658816 , population_density_km2 = , timezone1 = CET , utc_offset1 ...

(2003) * ''Zaouïas et confréries. Aspects de l'islam mystique dans l'histoire tunisienne'', ed. Sagittaire Publications,

Tunis ''Tounsi'' french: Tunisois , population_note = , population_urban = , population_metro = 2658816 , population_density_km2 = , timezone1 = CET , utc_offset1 ...

(2004) * ''L'Excès d'Orient. La notion de pouvoir dans le monde arabe'', ed. Erick Bonnier Publications,

(2015) * ''La Tunisie, la Méditerranée et l'Orient au miroir de l'histoire'', ed. Leaders Publishing,

Tunis ''Tounsi'' french: Tunisois , population_note = , population_urban = , population_metro = 2658816 , population_density_km2 = , timezone1 = CET , utc_offset1 ...

(2020) * ''Aux temps des émirs et des beys. Épisodes de l'histoire tunisienne'', ed. Leaders Publishing,

Tunis ''Tounsi'' french: Tunisois , population_note = , population_urban = , population_metro = 2658816 , population_density_km2 = , timezone1 = CET , utc_offset1 ...

(2022)

Distinctions

Awards

* 1980:

Aga Khan Award for Architecture The Aga Khan Award for Architecture (AKAA) is an architectural prize established by Aga Khan IV in 1977. It aims to identify and reward architectural concepts that successfully address the needs and aspirations of Muslim societies in the field ...

* 2012
Crans Montana Forum Award
* 2012: Mediterranean Award for Cultural Heritage

Honours

* Grand Officer of the

Order of the Republic (Tunisia) The Order of the Republic is an order of Tunisia, founded 16 March 1959. Some major recipients Grand Cross National * Mohamed Ennaceur * Beji Caid Essebsi. Foreign * : Abdelaziz Bouteflika * : Carlos Menem * : Anwar Sadat * : Hosni Mubarak ...

* Commander of the Order of 7 November (Tunisia) * Medal of the

Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO, formerly ISESCO) is a specialized organization that operates under the aegis of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and is concerned with fields of education ...

(OIC) * Knight of the

Ordre National du Mérite The Ordre national du Mérite (; en, National Order of Merit) is a French order of merit with membership awarded by the President of the French Republic, founded on 3 December 1963 by President Charles de Gaulle. The reason for the order's estab ...

(France) * Officer of Order of Academic Palms (France) * Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters (France)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Achour, Mohamed El Aziz Ben People from La Marsa Knights of the Ordre national du Mérite Officiers of the Ordre des Palmes Académiques Commandeurs of the Ordre des Palmes Académiques Democratic Constitutional Rally politicians 20th-century Tunisian historians Muslim reformers Government ministries of Tunisia 1951 births Living people University of Paris alumni 21st-century Tunisian historians