Joudia Hassar-Benslimane

Joudia Hassar-Benslimane (1943 – 22 May 2018) was a Moroccan historian and archeologist who specialized in Islamic archaeology, history and architecture. She was one of the first Moroccan female experts in archaeology, and made important contributions to advancing archeological research in Morocco, over her 30 years of career. She is generally considered as one of the most important figures in Moroccan archaeology.

She married the Moroccan Gendarmerie officer and sports official Housni Benslimane.

Career Hassar-Benslimane joined the Moroccan Ministry of Culture in 1972, and was affiliated to the Archeological Museum of Rabat. Within a year, she became its director, as well as the director of the service of archeology within the ministry. She was involved in excavations focusing particularly on Islamic archaeology. Her first excavations were at the pre-urban site of Belyounech, near Ceuta. and was instrumental in founding the National Institute of Archaeology and Heritage (INSAP), and became its first director in 1986. The role of the institute includes the education and training of archeology students and research and excavation of sites in Morocco, in collaboration with the international community.

In 1986, she published an article on the archaeology of Sijilmassa, highlighting the importance of the site. In 1987, she received a doctorate in archaeology from Sorbonne Paris IV University. Her thesis about the city of Salé, under the supervision of , was titled "Recherches sur la ville de Salé et problèmes d'archéologie marocaine" (research on the city of Salé and the problems of Moroccan archaeology).

According to Moroccan archeologist Abdeljalil Bouzouggar, current director of INSAP, Hassar helped emancipate Moroccan archaeology from colonialist hypotheses and interpretations which dominated during the French and Spanish protectorates, and led to the creation of a "Moroccan school of archeology". On 13 August 2018, the Moroccan Foundation for Museums unveiled a commemorative plaque in honor of Joudia Hassar at the Museum of History and Civilizations in Rabat, and named one of its halls after her.

Publications Some of Joudia Hassar-Benslimane's notable works include:

Salé : étude architecturale de trois maisons traditionnelles, 1979 Archives familiales et architecture privée à Salé, Bulletin Archéologique du Comité des Travaux Historiques et Scientifiques. Fascicule B, Afrique du Nord. 1984. Tinmel : l'épopée Almohade, 1992 Le passé de la ville de Salé dans tous ses États. Histoire, archéologie, archives, Paris : Maisonneuve et Larose, 1992. L'archéologie islamique au Maroc et son apport à l'Histoire, Bulletins de l'Académie Royale de Belgique, 1993, pp. 457-468 Maroc, terre de lumière. Morocco, land of light, Joudia Hassar-Benslimane, Philippe Ploquin, and Françoise Peuriot. 1999 La recherche archéologique au Maroc durant deux décennies, Actes des 1ères Journées Nationales d’Archéologie et du Patrimoine. Volume 1 : Préhistoire : Rabat, 1-4 juillet 1998. 2001.