Hassar-Benslimane joined the Moroccan Ministry of Culture in 1972, and was affiliated to the Archeological Museum of Rabat. Within a year, she became its director, as well as the director of the service of archeology within the ministry. She was involved in excavations focusing particularly on Islamic archaeology. Her first excavations were at the pre-urban site of
Belyounech, near
Ceuta. and was instrumental in founding the (INSAP), and became its first director in 1986. The role of the institute includes the education and training of archeology students and research and excavation of sites in Morocco, in collaboration with the international community. In 1986, she published an article on the archaeology of
Sijilmassa, highlighting the importance of the site. In 1987, she received a doctorate in archaeology from
Sorbonne Paris IV University. Her thesis about the city of
Salé, under the supervision of , was titled "Recherches sur la ville de Salé et problèmes d'archéologie marocaine" (research on the city of Salé and the problems of Moroccan archaeology). According to Moroccan archeologist Abdeljalil Bouzouggar, current director of INSAP, Hassar helped emancipate Moroccan archaeology from colonialist hypotheses and interpretations which dominated during the
French and
Spanish protectorates, and led to the creation of a "Moroccan school of archeology". Furthermore, the number of archeological programs in Morocco went from 4 in 1975, to around 40 when she retired from her position as director of INSAP in 2005, overseeing the training of more than 200 young specialists in various areas of archeology up to that point. == Death ==