Heritage Places Research Articles

D&C technique as an MCDM tool for managing the heritage value assessment of historic buildings in post-war cities: Mosul Old City as a case study

PurposeThe value assessment process of the built heritage is a multipart procedure that includes diverse aspects with overlapping requirements. This process requires various measures to obtain better results, making it a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) process. In post-disaster cases, a management system is required to promptly evaluate the degree of risk and damage and to set the preservation priorities in order to effectively supervise and protect the heritage places. MCDM is utilized for configuring and solving decision and planning problems encompassing multiple criteria, to assist decision-makers.Design/methodology/approachThis paper suggests an approach as a tool to be used in the development of the Built Heritage Record for Mosul Old City. It proposes a D&C technique as an MCDM effectual tool for solving multifaceted problems of heritage significance assessment process in post-conflict cities, adopting the conservation of the traditional houses of Mosul Old City as a case study.FindingsThe research results showed the need for a method to solve the complexity of the decision-making problem regarding the process of determining the value and significance of heritage buildings and sites in the old city of Mosul, and how to develop a methodology to facilitate decision-making within databases related to such a multi-criteria issue.Research limitations/implicationsFor an effective judgment of the expert or participant in the evaluation process, and to contribute to the decision-making more objectively, exploiting digital management programs including an interactive user interface with the ability to share on the Internet is the focal next intention of the project.Originality/valueThe paper shows that by using specific software, a database for heritage places of the old city of Mosul could be generated to apply the proposed system. The expert can utilize the software to calculate and define the total value of the place automatically according to the entered data.

The role of conservation policies in local understandings of heritage in living heritage places: a Greek testimony

ABSTRACT Despite the widespread acknowledgement of the role of local communities in heritage co-production and management, conservation approaches often remain top-down, ‘expert’ driven and state-centred. This paper considers the pragmatic manner in which heritage conservation policies affect local understandings of heritage. Focusing on the lived Greek heritage of traditional settlements, this paper interrogates the underexplored experienced angles to heritage conservation in conjunction with the official narratives. Expanding our knowledge on the impacts of conservation on heritage values, the paper argues that conservation policies can negatively affect local notions of heritage if the living aspect is not tactfully addressed and balanced against preservation priorities. The research furthers our understanding on the damaging impact of the AHD, problematising the disjunction between authorised and grassroots stances to living and lived heritage and providing a point of reference in respect to the dependent relationship between heritage conservation approaches and local community’s understanding of heritage.

Heritage and Rehabilitation Strategies for Confucian Courtyard Architecture: A Case Study in Liaocheng, China

During the past decades, many traditional vernacular buildings have been forced to be demolished or abandoned due to the accelerating trend of urbanisation in China, which has resulted in regional culture, historical memory, and architectural narratives being gradually lost. The contemporary development of courtyard-style architecture under the influence of Confucianism, an important architectural form that carries Chinese culture, remains unclear. To preserve these vernacular buildings and local culture, this paper traces the historical value of courtyard houses. Through a case study, the effectiveness of local courtyard-style building rehabilitation in Shandong is assessed, and key components, building materials, and construction techniques corresponding to Confucian cultural connotations are examined, leading to a more comprehensive dialectical analysis of building rehabilitation. The results indicated that rehabilitation can be effective in preserving vernacular components and cultural narratives in the context of sustainable development strategies for traditional buildings. Moreover, by identifying and evaluating the sense of place and rehabilitation strategies of the architectural heritage, new perspectives are offered to the world of vernacular architectural practice, and existing knowledge of the architectural courtyard is expanded.

Effect of typo-morphological analysis and place understanding on the nature of intervention within historic settings: the case of Amman, Jordan

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of different levels of place understanding (primarily typo-morphological analysis) on the nature of interventions within historic urban setting and buildings within the City of Amman.Design/methodology/approachThe research methodology depended on an extensive thematic survey and analysis. The typo-morphological analysis addressed several of Amman's residential hills and their connections with the downtown area. The thematic place survey tool included different units of analysis (e.g. buildings, public spaces, streets and sloped lands between streets) and addressed the values of these various buildings and spaces, their typology, typo-morphology and relation to the urban context, nature of change and transformations over time to mention a few. The extensive survey also included semi-structured interviews about these buildings addressing their emergence, historic context and values.FindingsThe paper presents an architectural typology for Amman's architecture and its relationship with the city's morphology stressing the specificity of Amman's historic core and residential hills. The paper also discusses the effect of this level of place understanding on the nature and levels of interventions within historic settings and buildings.Research limitations/implicationsThis level of place understanding (typo-morphological analysis) can have a positive impact on the practice of architectural and urban conservation by informing the nature of interventions within historic urban setting and buildings within the city. More specifically, this level of place understanding can, first, inform the development of urban and heritage guidelines within conservation areas in one of Amman's residential neighborhoods (Weibdeh) and, second, inform the nature of interventions to existing historic buildings based on respect of building typology.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the disciplines of architectural and urban conservation illustrating how place understanding can inform practices of heritage conservation and future policies and strategies concerning new intervention within such heritage places.

Evaluating the restorative potential of church buildings

We report the preliminary results of a study on the experience of soundscape and architectural ambiances of church buildings, with an emphasis on their restorative qualities. Through questionnaires, soundwalks and interviews with 16 diverse participants, we aim to characterize the sensory qualities of 2 contrasting church buildings in Montreal. Our data collection instruments operationalize concepts at the intersection of different research fields: soundscapes, attention restoration, quiet areas, architectural ambiances and heritage (including religious) places. As such, it encompasses a broad range of descriptors and outcomes. At a methodological level, we discuss the relative contributions of the different methods used and how they complement one another to provide a better understanding of experiences of church interiors. At a theoretical level, we report the main findings in term of experiences of space, sound, ambiance and associated benefits. In particular, we discuss the restorative potential of church building(s) and questions raised in relation to the particular context of this field work.

Comprehending genius loci, towards spiritual sustainability: lessons from Buddhist heritage city Anuradhapura

ABSTRACT The world heritage city Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, significant for spiritually cherished spatial orientation manifests in the city; reflecting ‘spiritual sustainability’, that integrates nature, natural elements, topography, built elements with the performances of people. This research examines comprehending ‘genius loci’ in heritage city Anuradhapura, and how this occurrence relates to spiritual sustainability. It explores in-depth dimensions of the place, related to ‘spiritual orientation’; a novel approach for understanding heritage sites. This paper proposes an original interdisciplinary study and method to examine ‘spiritual sustainability’ of the place and meanings by employing contextual concepts, and generalised concepts. It utilises Buddhist concepts, to explore in-depth meanings of the place, attached with the locus, vision, and cultural/religious views. Further, it discusses how these meanings shape and sustain the heritage city between divine/mundane dimensions. The same universal concept flourished upon architecture, landscape, villages and cities, from pre-history to the Buddhist city Anuradhapura, gathered in the same locus comprehending ‘genius loci’, established ‘spiritual sustainability’. In conclusion, the Buddhist heritage city sustains between physical and non-physical dimensions, a dynamic process, reveal more in-depth meanings of the place. This study presents a new insight to value heritage places and a new perspective for sustainable developments.

Un pasaje olvidado en la ciudad monumental de Cáceres. La conexión de Tenerías a Caleros.

At the north of Cáceres Heritage Place, fifty meters from Santiago Church, can be seen a space shouting for a passageway due the urban net. But it is unknown in street map neither historical cartography. The city council provide for as a priority from the approval of Plan Especial de Protección y Revitalización del Patrimonio Arquitectónico (Town planning of protection and revitalization of architectural heritage) from 1990, integrated in General City Planning from 2010. From graphic layout are established proposals to implement the passageway, with benefits for all the parties concerned.

Place Leadership in Social Accountability Initiatives

ABSTRACT This paper explores how social movement and civic actors enact and contribute to place leadership. It does so by examining how social movement organizations in South Africa use social audits to investigate and challenge government accountability and service delivery failures. The paper describes the meaning-making practices evident in social audit reports, and detail how social audit actors construct issues and positions through three framings – rights, regulations and lived realities. In this process, they leverage rights discourses and governance arrangements to legitimize their place leadership, and draw on multiple aspects and experiences of place to expose failures of governance and in the realization of rights. Through the dynamic interplay between legitimizing and exposing, they translate embodied realities and relations in and of place into a sense of purpose and direction for mobilizing a wider network of governance actors. On this basis, the paper contributes a social accountability perspective to place leadership studies. MAD statement This paper aims to Make a Difference (MAD) by exploring how social movement actors contribute to collective place leadership through constructing and contesting the meanings of local governance issues and relationships. The paper highlights how social movement actors illuminate place as the objective and measurable built environment, and as subjectively experienced and constituted as places of heritage and community but also dislocation and trauma. That they use social audits to interrogate governance failures and legitimize communities’ situated knowledge suggests such social accountability initiatives offer a space for place leadership outside of but also interacting with broader governance networks.

The problem of creativity and scientific heritage of Machiavelli in the framework of the historiographical assessments of Francesco De Sanctis

The article deals with the problem of creativity and scientific heritage of Niccolò Machiavelli in the system of historiographic assessments by Francesco De Sanctis (1817-1883). The author states the importance of addressing this issue in the era of globalization, since the era of the Italian Renaissance reflected cardinal changes in the interpretation of the historical process. In addition, in the era of globalization, the question of the system for forming the stages of historiographic assessments of Machiavelli's scientific heritage has significant methodological potential. Of particular interest in this regard is the Italian historiography of the 19th century, which developed under the influence of the emergence of a single centralized Italian state. What the Italians failed in the 16th century, what Machiavelli dreamed about in the final chapter of The Prince, became a historical fact in 1861. Of course, before the Italian historiography, a natural question arose about the creation of a holistic picture of Italian social and political life, within which the name of Machiavelli was to occupy a significant place. Thus, after Italy gained its statehood in the 19th century, representatives of Italian historiography faced the task of determining the true place of the entire scientific heritage of Machiavelli within the framework of Italian historical development. This task was brilliantly solved in the framework of the «History of Italian Literature» by Francesco De Sanctis (1817-1883).Consideration of the problems of creativity and scientific heritage of Machiavelli in the system of historiographic assessments by Francesco De Sanctis allows us to state the deep theoretical and methodological significance of these assessments. In de Sanctis' assessments of Machiavelli's heritage, not only a dry academic approach prevails, but also the desire to tie these assessments to De Sanctis' contemporary Italian political life of the 19th century. The scientific heritage and work of Machiavelli is considered by Francesco De Sanctis as a kind of lesson for the present. Machiavelli, who relies on realism and yet pays tribute to Fortune, is regarded as precisely a modern author. The assessments of the outstanding Italian scholar expressed in the second volume of the «History of Italian Literature» laid the foundation for a significant part of the modern interpretation of Machiavelli. In the era of globalization, the appeal to the key aspects of the formation of assessments of creativity and scientific heritage of Machiavelli within the framework of Italian historiography of the 19th century is of considerable interest. Thus, the views of Machiavelli were formed in a complex and rich atmosphere of the decline of the political influence of Italy, which became a fact after the military events of 1494. This allows us, in turn, referring to the heritage of the Florentine thinker, to see the content of his concepts in the light of the challenges of the era of globalization and the formation of a new world order.

Sustainability by Design: Innovative Ways of Revolutionizing Production Practices for a Better Tomorrow

The incorporation of virtual design, augmented reality (AR), and immersive 3D modelling has resulted in a significant and extensive impact on several aspects of society and culture. The aforementioned technologies have not only brought about significant changes in various sectors such as education, entertainment, healthcare, and real estate, but they have also fundamentally transformed the way in which we engage in communication, interaction, and our overall perception of the surrounding world. Within the field of education, the utilisation of virtual design and immersive technology has expanded the possibilities for learning, presenting opportunities for interactive, experiential, and dynamic educational encounters. The use of various resources, such as 3D anatomy lectures and virtual historical excursions, has significantly augmented our capacity to comprehend intricate issues and facilitated a more captivating methodology towards education. The field of healthcare and medicine has experienced significant advancements as a result of these technologies, which have facilitated enhanced surgical planning, medical training, and therapeutic interventions. The field of telemedicine has seen a significant transformation with the integration of augmented reality (AR), resulting in enhanced accessibility and convenience of healthcare services, particularly in geographically isolated or underserved regions. The influence of these technologies has been extended to the preservation of cultural heritage, facilitating the digitization and conservation of heritage places and artefacts, so ensuring their accessibility for future generations to study and appreciate. The democratisation of creativity and empowerment has facilitated the artistic expression and utilisation of 3D models and augmented reality (AR) applications by individuals from various backgrounds. it is crucial to acknowledge ethical and societal concerns as we adopt these revolutionary technologies. The issues of privacy, addiction, misinformation, and the ethical utilisation of data are matters that necessitate continuous focus and resolution.

A Study on Tourist Satisfaction in Intangible Cultural Heritage Places Based on Web Text Analysis and IPA Analysis—Case Study on Lijiang Old Town

In the context of integration of culture and tourism, intangible cultural heritage (ICH) has become an important cultural resource for tourism. Based on the old town of Lijiang, a representative intangible cultural heritage tourist destination, this paper investigates tourist satisfaction in intangible cultural heritage tourist destinations through Web Text Analysis and IPA analysis respectively. The study found that the uniqueness and richness of ICH cultural resources have a significant impact on tourist satisfaction, and that tourist satisfaction in terms of infrastructure and tourism consumption in the old town of Lijiang is low and still has much room for improvement.

Historical Analysis of the Sümerbank Factories Established in Accordance with the First Five-Year Industrialization Plan

In its foundation years, The Republic of Turkey has adopted a development model based on modernization, innovation and the principle of statism in its economic policies. In this respect, the First Five-Year Industrial Plan, which includes the priority needs of Turkey, was prepared and the state started to build new factories in the 1930s. These factories not only brought employment and innovation to the city where they were located, but they also played an important role in shaping the life style of the Early Republican Period. Among the factories built in accordance with the First Five-Year Industrial Plan, this study aims to focus on Sümerbank factories, where the foundations of economic and social development were laid, and examine their transformation in the historical process. Firstly, an extensive literature review was conducted on the Sümerbank factories established between 1933 and 1938. Following that, the site selection criteria of Sümerbank factories located in different regions of Turkey and their physical aspects during the establishment phase were examined. Finally, by documenting the existing features of these industrial heritage places, a general assessment was made on the transformation from the 1930s to the present.

Gandhara in Pakistani Imagination: Ahmad Hasan Dani's View

Gandhara mesmerizes not only general public but Pakistani academics as well. Academic interest in Gandhara can be viewed as purely academic and historical or nationalist and economic. Ahmad Hasan Dani stands unique in this respect. His approach towards the utility of history and heritage in modern state politics is interesting and vital. This paper aims to explore his perspective on Gandhara with a focus on themes such as historical roots of Pakistan, place of heritage in national economy and cultural diplomacy across the entire Asia. This study connects to some recent works on Gandhara and Buddhism in Pakistan which focus on analyzing the politics of archaeology and heritage in Pakistani scholarship. In an interpretivist endeavor, Dani’s ideas have either been quoted in original from his texts or reproduced in summarized form. What becomes obvious from the work is Dani’s intellectual representation of Pakistan based on his life-long association with Gandhara.

Roles, Responsibilities and Challenges of Guthi Sansthan (Corporation) for the Conservation of Cultural Heritage in Nepal

Having diverse cost and ethnicity, language and culture, Nepal is rich in cultural heritage. The paper's main aim is to illustrate the roles and responsibilities of the Guthi Sansthan for the conservation of cultural heritage in Nepal and the challenge it faces. Guthi is an example of a cooperative system. Guthi Sansthan, a government body is more responsible for preserving and managing Nepal's tangible and intangible cultural heritage. The finding reveals Guthi Sansthan has a leading role in heritage conservation. However, the Guthi still survives and continues as a significant informal heritage conservation system underlining these indigenous systems’ resilience. Many significant heritage places and monuments are now in crisis due to the government policies and encroachment of different organizations and institutions. Therefore, it is essential to recognise the significant value and contribution of Guthi Sansthan for the sustainable heritage conservation and management of cultural heritage by different agencies, including government, policymakers, and practitioners.

Employing Heritage in the Articles of Mikhail Naima an Analytical Descriptive Study

The subject of employing heritage in the articles of Mikhail Naima is one of the theme that ought to be considered and examined. Because of its significance in creating the literary content, particularly the articles from it, and give it with the sources of strength that guarantee its success and immortality. The one who carefully considers the texts of Mikhail Naima Al-Maqaliyah will discover that the phenomenon of utilizing heritage texts, especially literary and historical ones, is strikingly show in his papers, as This phenomenon contributed to building the text of the articles, and supplementing it effectively, which worked to remember other literary, historical texts and dissolve them in the new text, concurring to the writer’s point of view , experience and incident in producing and designing works. For everyone looking for righteousness in himself and his community.
 The research is based on the employment of literary and historical heritage in the articles of Mikhail Naima consist of two sections. The first dealt with the employment of literary heritage, and divided into two parts: poetic heritage and prose heritage. As for the second topic, it was devoted to the study of historical heritage and a section to the study of historical figures and heritage places. The research concluded with the conclusion of our record. It contains the most important findings of the investigation.

The Drone, the Snake, and the Crystal: Manifesting Potency in 3D Digital Replicas of Living Heritage and Archaeological Places

Creating and sharing 3D digital replicas of archaeological sites online has become increasingly common. They are being integrated in excavation workflows, used to foster public engagement with the site, and provide communication and outreach of research, which now happen on digital media platforms. However, there has been little introspection by the community involved in the 3D documentation field, which has resulted in problematic practices. We critique the western paradigm of archaeological visualisation and propose recommendations for inclusive, decolonised visualisations of living heritage and archaeological places. To begin, we define in broad terms what an archaeological site is, and then we describe how these sites have been recorded and represented using the latest technology for digital re-production, namely laser scanning and photogrammetry. Following that we provide a critical analysis of current 3D visualisations of archaeological sites and develop an approach to ensure that the significance, meaning, and potency of archaeological and living heritage places are transferred to their digital replicas. Our case study at Ga-Mohana Hill in South Africa then offers practical approaches and methodologies that the fields of cultural heritage documentation and archaeological visualisation can employ to address their recurring issues as identified in the critical analysis. We present an online, interactive 3D digital replica of a living heritage and archaeological place that we believe responds appropriately to its political, cultural, and social context along with communicating its archaeological significance.

On the assessment of social value of heritage places in Hong Kong

ABSTRACT Hong Kong adopted the practice of assessing social value of heritage sites in the late 1990s or early 2000s, which by then had been widely incorporated by other places around the world, in line with the Burra Charter of 1979. However, social value appraisals in Hong Kong continue to be inadequate, due in part to a lack of understanding of this complex notion and how it works. Similar challenges have also been observed in other places, as attested in existing literature. This article reviews the rich literature on place and place-related concepts, and how these are operationalized by various authors to achieve their research objectives. Adopting a phenomenological perspective of heritage, with a particular stress on people-place relationship and interaction, the study unpacks and operationalizes the rich concept of social value. The resulting framework is applied to a specific place in Hong Kong to illustrate its capacity to raise the standards of assessments. The methods used in the study emphasize the importance of engaging the local community to better understand their relationship with place. Some policy implications are discussed.

The Place of Intangible Cultural Heritage in the State Policy of China

The object of this research is the intangible cultural heritage of the People's Republic of China (NPC), the subject is the state policy in the field of protection of monuments of intangible cultural heritage. The article analyzes the approach of the Government of the People's Republic of China to the definition of the essence of the national intangible cultural heritage on the materials of legal documents, considers the classification developed in accordance with national, historical, cultural characteristics for the typologization of intangible cultural heritage objects. To improve the protection of intangible cultural heritage, the State Council of the People's Republic of China provides for a four-level hierarchy of monuments of the National Heritage: national, provincial, city and county, which contributes to more thorough and effective work with them. Particular attention is paid to the consideration of concepts that allowed China to fully integrate the protection of intangible cultural heritage into the modern political course of the state. The novelty and relevance lies in the study of the fundamental principles that guide the State Council of the People's Republic of China in its work on the study of intangible cultural heritage objects, the creation of their nomenclature base, the promotion of digital transformation in meeting the needs of the public in understanding the importance and uniqueness of cultural heritage. An important contribution is the analysis of approaches to ensuring the transfer of spiritual culture, the creation of favorable conditions for the support of "representative heirs" of China's spiritual culture. The main conclusion of the study is that as a result of the measures taken in China, progress has been made not only in the protection of intangible cultural heritage, but also in strengthening cultural awareness, spreading knowledge about the objects of the ICH, the development of traditional crafts, the study and popularization of traditional spiritual culture.

High tech or high touch? Heritage encounters and the power of presence

ABSTRACT In this article, I challenge the increasing emphasis on digital technologies to enhance encounters with the past in heritage landscapes. Beginning with a memory from my childhood, I conceptualise presence as being there and review recent approaches in heritage studies that highlight the wide range of benefits derived from embodied experiences in heritage places including reinforcing feelings of wellbeing and ontological security. Outlining enduring limitations of high-tech digital heritage tools, particularly the lack of critical perspectives assessing the ethical and methodological challenges of employing them in heritage landscapes, I argue there is a recurring theme of grasping for presence. Drawing on fieldwork in four heritage sites associated with the Viking Age in Sweden and Germany, I suggest a renewed focus on ‘high touch’ will encourage more meaningful, multisensory encounters within the fabric of the heritage landscape. As our lives become increasingly high tech, I return to the foundational values and motivations of being there in heritage places, concluding that heritage landscapes serve as important spaces of interaction where past, present, and future imaginaries can be negotiated beyond the reach of the digital world.

Applying ICOMOS-IFLA Principles for the Conservation, Management and Reuse of a Historical Hydraulic System: The No-Ras Qanat in North-Western Iran

Historical hydraulic systems represent a significant part of landscapes and global heritage. However, from the second half of the 20th century onwards, substantial socio-economic as well as technological changes occurring worldwide have put them at risk of abandonment and, eventually, of disappearing. Recent studies and international conventions, including the ICOMOS-IFLA, framed historical hydraulic systems and water management techniques in a new dimension, not only as an element of the past to be preserved but an active element to achieve sustainable economic development and mitigate climate change. Those qanats or karez represented a major historical hydraulic sustainable solution for irrigation, providing a water supply, which during the last few decades, has been slowly replaced with modern, although polluting and unsustainable, technologies. Building on the recent ICOMOS-IFLA Principles Concerning Rural Landscape as Heritage and the recommendation provided by initial research, this paper aims to show how qanats can become: (1) an important local and regional cultural and natural heritage; (2) a valuable economic resource; (3) an environmentally friendly system that could at least partially replace the existing polluting solution (i.e., dams and other modern infrastructures). To achieve these goals, we propose a restoration or reuse approach for the qanat based on the necessity of multiple stakeholders at local and national levels using sustainable materials and respecting the different values as a heritage place. Our case study is the No-Ras qanat in North-western Iran. In the conclusion, we also illustrate the relevance of the aims and methods of this paper in the light of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.