The Dr. Leila Mezian Foundation signed an agreement on Tuesday, June 17, in Casablanca to create an Amazigh Space within Granada's UNESCO World Heritage-listed Alhambra complex. According to a press release, the partnership between Foundation Vice-President Dounia Benjelloun and Rodrigo Ruiz Jimenez Carrera, Director General of the Alhambra Patronage, will establish the cultural center in the Carmen de los Porcel building. The 250-square-meter space will dedicate 200 square meters to a permanent exhibition showcasing a collection of Berber artifacts gathered over fifty years by the late Dr. Leila Mezian Benjelloun. The center aims to celebrate Amazigh heritage within Andalusian civilization and strengthen cultural ties between Morocco and Spain. The signing ceremony was attended by notable figures including André Azoulay, advisor to King Mohammed VI; Enrique Ojeda Vila, Spanish Ambassador to Morocco; and Patricia Del Pozo Fernandez, president of the Alhambra Patronage. This project honors the legacy of Dr. Mezian Benjelloun, who was awarded the Alaouite Order by King Mohammed VI in 2016 for her contributions to education and culture. She also organized the 2019 exhibition «La Granada Zirí del siglo XI y el universo Bereber», which was inaugurated by Queen Letizia of Spain. The Amazigh Space is scheduled to open to the public in December 2025, following the installation and preparation phases.
