North African metal art gets new shine with Unesco heritage listing

A Tunisian artisan engraves a design onto a copper plate at his shop in the souks of the medina of Tunis. Photo: AFP

Mohamed Amine Htiouich began honing his metal engraving skills as a teenager. Now the 37-year-old Tunisian is training the next generation in the ancient art, recently recognised by Unesco.

Htiouich first worked on copper, then silver and finally gold at the family's workshop in the old medina of Tunis.