Cette recherche doctorale soulève la problématique de conservation et d’intégration de l’habitat traditionnel en Tunisie et sur Kairouan. Il s’agit de mettre en valeur les spécificités de ce patrimoine mondial en péril, d’explorer les facteurs qui ont induit sa dégradation, et de s’interroger sur son avenir face aux enjeux du développement, aux changements des modes de vie et face à la modernisation. En effet, la préservation des valeurs culturelles, sociales, économiques et historiques ainsi que l’adaptation de cet héritage patrimonial, exposé à un haut risque de dégradation, aux exigences de la vie moderne, constituent aujourd’hui un défi majeur. La situation de l’habitat traditionnel kairouanais, est ainsi explorée à travers l’élaboration d’un corpus diversifié, jugé nécessaire pour mener à bien cette recherche à savoir le diagnostic, l'analyse AFOM, l’état des lieux ainsi que l’enquête de terrain (questionnaires et entretiens) auprès des habitants, responsables et experts de la gestion de l’habitat traditionnel en Tunisie. Une lecture croisée de ces outils méthodologiques, permet, entre autres, de mettre en lumière l’état de ce bâti, et de réfléchir sur les conditions qu'il conviendrait de réunir pour faire en sorte que les décideurs, acteurs locaux et habitants s'intéressent à ce patrimoine et le prennent en main dans un cadre d'accompagnement politique, économique, social et financier. L'objectif de ce travail de thèse est donc d’étudier l’habitat traditionnel de la ville de Kairouan, dans tous ses aspects (urbain, architectural et social, etc.), de comprendre les causes de sa dégradation et de proposer, dans un contexte national et local spécifique, les conditions et les outils stratégiques à mettre en place afin de garantir une meilleure gestion de cet habitat, dans une approche intégrée et participative, afin d’aider à une fixation des habitants dans leur milieu de référence. Ce travail de recherche ainsi que les potentialités et les perspectives qu’il envisage, se veut une contribution à une meilleure connaissance de l’espace médinal oublié et marginalisé de la ville de Kairouan, notamment l’habitat traditionnel, un appel à un vrai débat et une véritable concertation entre tous les acteurs du patrimoine en Tunisie et
une vraie mobilisation de toutes les catégories de la société pour se doter des moyens et des instruments nécessaires à sa sauvegarde. Par ailleurs, cette recherche vise à mettre en place une méthode d'analyse et d'action ayant pour objectif de contribuer à améliorer la situation de ce patrimoine et ce, à travers l’élaboration d’une grille d'analyse spécifique au contexte et aux enjeux locaux qui servira par la suite aux acteurs pour agir dans la bonne direction et de prendre en charge ce patrimoine, toute en revitalisant l’habitat traditionnel, en tant que patrimoine évolutif, pour l’adapter aux enjeux du développement durable. / This PhD research raises the issue of conservation and integration of traditional housing in Tunisia and Kairouan.It showcases the specificities of this world heritage currently in danger, exploring the factors that have led to its degradation, wondering about its future in front of the development issues, lifestyle changes and modernization.Indeed, the preservation of cultural, social, economic and historical values and the adaptation of this heritage legacy, exposed to a high risk of degradation, the demands of modern life, constitute today a major challenge.The situation of traditional housing in Kairouan, thus explored through the elaboration of a diversified corpus, considered necessary to carry out this research such as the diagnosis, the SWOT analysis, the site investigation (surveys and interviews) with locals, officials and experts.A cross-reading of these methodological tools allows to highlight the state of this build and reflect upon the conditions it should meet to ensure that policy makers, local actors and peoples interest in this heritage and take it in hand, in a political, economic, social and financial support framework.The objective of this thesis is to study the traditional housing of the city of Kairouan in all its aspects (urban, architectural and social, etc.) to understand its degradation causes and to propose in a specific national and local context the conditions and strategic tools to ensure better housing management in an integrated and participatory approach, in order to encourage the population to settle down in their reference environment.This research, in view of the potentialities and prospects it offers, is a contribution to a better knowledge of the forgotten and marginalised medinal area of the city of Kairouan, including the traditional housing, a call for a real debate and a genuine collaboration between all heritage actors in Tunisia to increase mobilization of all sections of society in order to provide the necessary means and tools for its conservation.Furthermore, this research aims to establish a method of analysis and action devised to improve this current heritage situation, through the development of an analysis grid, specific to the local context issues which will be used later for actors in order to proceed in the right direction and preserve this heritage, while revitalizing the traditional housing, as evolutive heritage, to be adapted to the sustainable development challenges.

The Mudawwana is a work which is traditionally credited to Saḥnūn, a legal jurist from Kairouan, North Africa in the 2nd-3rd/8th-9th century. It is one of the major legal texts at the foundation of the Mālikī madhhab named after Mālik b. Anas. The text is a large compendium of hypothetical scenarios requiring resolution. The style of the text is masāʾil, i.e. question-and-answer, between a disciple and his teacher. This research examines ancient manuscripts, commentaries and modern editions of the Mudawwana for a comparative analysis in attempting to understand the way in which the text was formed. The text will be examined in the areas of structure, content and presentation. The roles and influences of those responsible for the development of the text will be examined using definitions set out by Sebastian Günther. Discrepancies and variances amongst the manuscripts and modern editions, along with insights gleaned from the commentaries will yield a formative process in the development of the text over a period of centuries. It will be shown that although much of the content of the text was likely set by the creator of the text, various influences through the centuries by personalities and individuals fulfilling certain roles have impacted the structure and presentation of the text. The various roles in the creation of the text will be examined including author, writer, scribe, student, transmitter and editor. The influences of these various roles have developed the text further, therefore distancing it from the intentions of the creator of the original text. Structural changes were most prominent in the medieval period with kitābs within the text being bound in kurrāsas, one or more to a group. In the modern period, these nearly one hundred kitābs were then bound in multi-volume hardcover sets providing a very new presentation form for the text. Additionally, a new name was given with the publication of the first modern edition in 1323/1905, al-Mudawwana al-kubrā. The textual changes will be examined in light of these roles in order to better understand how the text has been modified and formed over the centuries. Results will demonstrate that the text of the Mudawwana has undergone three primary periods of development: formative, classical and renaissance. The roles and personalities have impacted its development in content, structure and presentation, with the latter two having been more significantly affected during its classical and renaissance stages. / Graduate / 0333 / wat@uvic.ca

The Mudawwana is a work which is traditionally credited to Saḥnūn, a legal jurist from Kairouan, North Africa in the 2nd-3rd/8th-9th century. It is one of the major legal texts at the foundation of the Mālikī madhhab named after Mālik b. Anas. The text is a large compendium of hypothetical scenarios requiring resolution. The style of the text is masāʾil, i.e. question-and-answer, between a disciple and his teacher. This research examines ancient manuscripts, commentaries and modern editions of the Mudawwana for a comparative analysis in attempting to understand the way in which the text was formed. The text will be examined in the areas of structure, content and presentation. The roles and influences of those responsible for the development of the text will be examined using definitions set out by Sebastian Günther. Discrepancies and variances amongst the manuscripts and modern editions, along with insights gleaned from the commentaries will yield a formative process in the development of the text over a period of centuries. It will be shown that although much of the content of the text was likely set by the creator of the text, various influences through the centuries by personalities and individuals fulfilling certain roles have impacted the structure and presentation of the text. The various roles in the creation of the text will be examined including author, writer, scribe, student, transmitter and editor. The influences of these various roles have developed the text further, therefore distancing it from the intentions of the creator of the original text. Structural changes were most prominent in the medieval period with kitābs within the text being bound in kurrāsas, one or more to a group. In the modern period, these nearly one hundred kitābs were then bound in multi-volume hardcover sets providing a very new presentation form for the text. Additionally, a new name was given with the publication of the first modern edition in 1323/1905, al-Mudawwana al-kubrā. The textual changes will be examined in light of these roles in order to better understand how the text has been modified and formed over the centuries. Results will demonstrate that the text of the Mudawwana has undergone three primary periods of development: formative, classical and renaissance. The roles and personalities have impacted its development in content, structure and presentation, with the latter two having been more significantly affected during its classical and renaissance stages. / Graduate / 2015-04-22 / 0333 / wat@uvic.ca