The way art is expressed in the Arabic language is very different from French or English. It belongs to an ethical idea of beauty and is often expressed in an almost elemental way. He was probably the most knowledgeable person on Tunisian art history. I remember our last conversation: I told him that when I returned from my travels, I wanted to record all our discussions so I could preserve traces of his memory and of Tunisian art history. I learned of his passing at the age of 96 while I was travelling, and I deeply regretted not having seized the moment.

Source: The North Africa Journal January 30, 2026 14:51 UTC