Each year at the Marmotec stone exhibition in Carrara, Italy, International Marble Architectural Awards (MAA) are presented for the best stone buildings in particular parts of the world. This year it was the turn of North Africa and the Middle East.

This year\'s 23rd Marmotec was held from 29 May to 1 June. At a technical seminar on May 31st, the architects of the winning projects presented illustrated papers about their projects after receiving their prizes.

It was clear that some significant work has been completed lately in the Middle East and Northern Africa, with designers taking care to respect traditions while giving their work contemporary flair.

In spite of the region\'s complex politics, there has been a lot of building in the Middle East and North Africa in the past few years and a significant amount of stone used in that building.

The panel of judges who examined the projects entered in the contest selected winners that successfully embody different symbolic values: an Israeli synagogue; a public park in the heart of Islamic Iran; the reborn Library of Alexandria, a symbol of timeless knowledge that lives in harmony with the values of faith and religion.

The winners were chosen not just for their aesthetic results, but also for their clear connections to local traditions.

The panel of judges was chaired by Luigi Danesi, President of Internazionale Marmi e Macchine, who run the Carrara fair. It also consisted of Giancarlo Cacciatori of the National Architects\' Council (CNA), Giuliano Colombini, president of the Federation of the Architects\' Associations of Tuscany, and Marco Casamonti, director of Area magazine.

First prize for the external facing section went to Sn¯hetta Hamza Consortium for their Bibliotheca Alexandrina, built in Alexandria, Egypt, in 2001 with a local stone, Schulman grey granite, chosen to embody historical continuity.

In the interior design section, the first prize was awarded to Mario Botta, an internationally acclaimed architect. Botta\'s prized work is the Cymbalista Synagogue and the Jewish Heritage Centre, built in Tel Aviv in 1998.

The building itself is clad in Pietra di Prun, while the winning interiors use Pietra dorata for decoration and cladding and absolute black granite from South-Africa in the floors.

While the building has been appreciated for a while, its interiors, which won the MAA prize, were being seen by most for the first time. They attracted the judges with their play of materials and light that give a special atmosphere to the synagogue.

First prize for the urban landscape section went to Mehrdad Iravanian for the Koran Gateway landscaping of Shiraz, Iran, built in 1995.

The materials used in this imposing park are two types of Iranian limestone: Ciman and Gandomak fars. They combine to help make the impressive and meaningful work fit in perfectly with its surroundings.

Awarding the prizes, Luigi Danesi highlighted not only the high standard of design but also the universal significance of stone in important structures.