Tunis: Located on the heights of the village of Sidi Bou Said, the Ennejma Ezzahra Palace, a genuine jewel of 20th century neo-Arabo-Andalusian architecture, was the setting for a major event late on Friday afternoon: The official launch of the “Venus Platform: Digitalisation and Cultural Mediation at the Ennejma Ezzahra Palace” project.
During the launch ceremony, which was attended by representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited to Tunisia and a number of guests, Acting Minister of Cultural Affairs Moncef Boukthir commended the colossal work undertaken by the team at the Centre of Arab and Mediterranean Music (CMAM) to achieve this project, which will serve not only to preserve and showcase Tunisia’s tangible and intangible heritage, but also to make it available to all visitors, notably the visually impaired and blind.
This pioneering initiative, he added, aims to make history and culture accessible to all, and is a real invitation to discover the Ennejma Ezzahra Palace, a jewel of Tunisian heritag
e, which has just entered the digital era to be a real bridge between yesterday and today.
The name of the platform, “Venus,” has been chosen in reference to the Venus Star, which is none other than Ennejma Ezzahra, following the example of “Virgil” for the National Heritage Institute of Tunisia, as well as major platforms around the world, notably “La Joconde” for the French museum platform, head of project and architect in charge of conservation at the Ennejma Ezzahra Palace Fatma Jabberi Farroukh pointed out.
Unveiling the details of this ambitious project, which has been ongoing for almost a year, she said that the platform specially developed for this project will offer unprecedented access to the palace’s spaces and digitised collections, allowing visitors, researchers and history buffs to discover the treasures of the Ennejma Ezzahra Palace in an interactive and immersive way.
The fruit of collaboration between experts in technology and heritage conservation, the project aims to transform the visito
r experience by completely digitising the palace’s collections and spaces, taking into account accessibility for the blind and visually impaired.
The visitor route has been redesigned to incorporate modern, inclusive technologies, with signage featuring strategically placed QR codes to help visitors scan and instantly obtain detailed information about the objects on display via their smartphones.
To ensure accessibility for the visually impaired, Braille signs have been installed along the tour route.
The tour is enhanced by historical photographs offering a nostalgic look at the palace’s past and its countless collections.
To celebrate this event, a free open day will be held on Sunday June 23, 2024, from 11am to 7pm, with a programme of music, art performances and exhibitions to raise awareness of this new tour route in this magical place with its history and breathtaking panorama of the Mediterranean Sea.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse