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🇹🇳 Tunisia /Culture & Society

Sousse municipality denies painting medina walls, calls image falsified

From La Presse · () French

Translated from French, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement Outcome reported
  • The municipality of Sousse has officially denied reports of recent painting on the walls of its historic medina.
  • Authorities stated that a widely circulated image showing painted walls is a falsified picture, not of the medina but of the city's open-air theater.
  • Sousse's municipality emphasized that no painting has occurred on the UNESCO World Heritage medina walls, and any intervention on such sites is strictly regulated.

The municipality of Sousse has formally refuted claims circulating on social media that its historic medina walls have been recently painted. Officials stated that the image causing a stir online is a digitally manipulated fabrication, not an authentic depiction of the medina.

The photo in question does not represent the medina of Sousse, but the wall of the city's open-air theater, a modern infrastructure dating from the 1990s.

— Mourad Ben SalemMourad Ben Salem, responsible for the municipality's management, identified the subject of the controversial image.

Mourad Ben Salem, responsible for the municipality's management, clarified that the photograph in question actually shows the wall of the city's open-air theater, a modern structure built in the 1990s. He asserted that this theater wall has been white for years and has not undergone any recent painting. Ben Salem described the widely shared image as "falsified and not authentic," suggesting it was altered using digital retouching and artificial intelligence tools.

This wall has been painted white for several years and has not undergone any recent intervention.

— Mourad Ben SalemMourad Ben Salem clarified the history of the wall depicted in the image.

Ben Salem reiterated that no painting work has been carried out on the medina's ramparts, which have been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1988. He reminded the public that any interventions on this historic site are subject to strict regulations. According to municipal rules, the only authorized colors within the medina are white and blue, primarily for doors and windows.

The image disseminated would have been manipulated using digital retouching techniques and artificial intelligence tools, qualifying it as 'falsified and not authentic.'

— Mourad Ben SalemMourad Ben Salem explained how the image was likely altered.

The municipality expressed regret over the spread of rumors, noting that it diverts local authorities' efforts toward issuing denials. Ben Salem characterized the incident as a "gratuitous attack on the image of the city and its institutions" and urged greater responsibility when sharing content online.

The municipality of Sousse has not carried out any painting work on the ramparts of the medina, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1988.

— Mourad Ben SalemMourad Ben Salem firmly denied any recent painting on the historic medina walls.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by La Presse in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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