Historical Monuments Research Articles

Automatic Removal of Non-Architectural Elements in 3D Models of Historic Buildings with Language Embedded Radiance Fields

Neural radiance fields have emerged as a dominant paradigm for creating complex 3D environments incorporating synthetic novel views. However, 3D object removal applications utilizing neural radiance fields have lagged behind in effectiveness, particularly when open set queries are necessary for determining the relevant objects. One such application area is in architectural heritage preservation, where the automatic removal of non-architectural objects from 3D environments is necessary for many downstream tasks. Furthermore, when modeling occupied buildings, it is crucial for modeling techniques to be privacy preserving by default; this also motivates the removal of non-architectural elements. In this paper, we propose a pipeline for the automatic creation of cleaned, architectural structure only point clouds utilizing a language embedded radiance field (LERF) with a specific application toward generating suitable point clouds for the structural integrity assessment of occupied buildings. We then validated the efficacy of our approach on the rooms of the historic Sion hospital, a national historic monument in Valais, Switzerland. By using our automatic removal pipeline on the point clouds of rooms filled with furniture, we decreased the average earth mover’s distance (EMD) to the ground truth point clouds of the physically emptied rooms by 31 percent. The success of our research points the way toward new paradigms in architectural modeling and cultural preservation.

New Era in Cultural Heritage Preservation: Cooperative Aerial Autonomy for Fast Digitalization of Difficult-to-Access Interiors of Historical Monuments

Digital documentation of large interiors of historical buildings is an exhausting task since most of the areas of interest are beyond typical human reach. We advocate the use of autonomous teams of multi-rotor Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to speed up the documentation process by several orders of magnitude while allowing for a repeatable, accurate, and condition-independent solution capable of precise collision-free operation at great heights. The proposed multi-robot approach allows for performing tasks requiring dynamic scene illumination in large-scale real-world scenarios, a process previously applicable only in small-scale laboratory-like conditions. Extensive experimental analyses range from single-UAV imaging to specialized lighting techniques requiring accurate coordination of multiple UAVs. The system's robustness is demonstrated in more than two hundred autonomous flights in fifteen historical monuments requiring superior safety while lacking access to external localization. This unique experimental campaign, cooperated with restorers and conservators, brought numerous lessons transferable to other safety-critical robotic missions in documentation and inspection tasks.

THE SOCIO-POLITICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL PERIOD IN WHICH THE UZBEK POET AND THINKER BOBORAKHIM MASHRAB LIVED

In this scientific article, a small region such as "Dahbed", which is among the famous cities of Uzbekistan such as Samarkand and Bukhara, is also famous in the Islamic world, and several historical and cultural monuments are inextricably linked with the history of Dahbed in Central Asia and beyond. and the toponymy of Boborahim Mashrab heritage was studied and analyzed.

RECONSTRUCTION OF BUILDINGS AS A METHOD OF PRESERVING HISTORICAL BUILDINGS

Reconstruction of buildings is an important method of preserving historic buildings, as it allows to combine the preservation of architectural and historical values with the needs of modern life. The preservation of historical and cultural heritage is a key strategic direction for the development of modern cities and a way of self-identification of peoples. Historic buildings, regardless of their functional, constructive and aesthetic qualities, allow us to pass on to future generations the material evidence of the past, the spirit of the era, and the unique atmosphere of cities. Modern urban planning policy, despite its offensive nature, provides for the maximum preservation of historic buildings and structures, their reconstruction, modernisation or renovation. The only way to avoid oblivion and destruction is to make full use of them. In today's world, countries' desire for cultural self-identification and interest in authentic architectural surroundings contributes to the preservation of not only unique buildings and structures listed in the registers of architectural and historical monuments, but also high-quality "background architecture" - second-plan architecture, inconspicuous, less valuable, but which is essential for the formation of the "image of the city". It is this type of building that most often becomes the object of active reconstruction. The purpose of the article is to explore the significance of the impact of historical buildings on the formation of the urban environment, to study the experience of reconstruction of historical buildings, and to show the possibilities of reconstruction as a method of preserving cultural heritage. For this purpose, the article analyses the practical principles of foreign experience in reconstruction, renovation, adaptation and modernisation of buildings and structures for various purposes - residential, public, industrial, and engineering. The article provides examples of completed projects for the reconstruction of residential (East Germany, Amsterdam, Bordeaux, Norfolk, Copenhagen, Paris), public (Berlin, Brisbane, London, Hanover, Hong Kong, Nuremberg, Venice) and industrial buildings (Barcelona, Riga, MontjuХre, Leshno, Villars de Dalt, Kyiv, Brooklyn, Roskilde, Brussels, Eindhoven, Lviv) and engineering structures (Bankside, Toronto, Dorset, Utrecht, London) that show a variety of architectural and planning techniques of reconstruction. The study of foreign and domestic experience in the reconstruction of buildings and structures expands the possibilities for the effective use of historic buildings, improves the methods of volumetric and spatial organisation of development, and prolongs the life of historic buildings.

Metaproteomic analysis of King Ghezo tomb wall (Abomey, Benin) confirms 19th century voodoo sacrifices.

The palace of King Ghezo in Abomey, capital of the ancient kingdom of Dahomey (present-day Benin), houses two sacred huts which are specific funerary structures. It is claimed that the binder in their walls is made of human blood. In the study presented here, we conceived an original strategy to analyze the proteins present on minute amounts of the cladding sampled from the inner facade of the cenotaph wall and establish their origin. The extracted proteins were proteolyzed and the resulting peptides were characterized by high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry. Over 6397 distinct molecular entities were identified using cascading searches. Starting from without a priori searches of an extended generic database, the peptide repertoire was narrowed down to the most representative organisms-identified by means of taxon-specific peptides. A wide diversity of bacteria, fungi, plants, and animals were detected through the available protein material. This inventory was used to archaeologically reconstruct the voodoo rituals of consecration and maintenance of vitality. Several indicators attested to the presence of traces of human and poultry blood in the material taken. This study shows the essential advantages of paleoproteomics and metaproteomics for the study of ancient residues from archaeological excavations or historical monuments.

Interactive 360° media for the dissemination of endangered world heritage sites: the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria

Since the onset of conflict in Syria in 2011, several heritage sites have suffered partial or complete destruction. The ancient city of Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1980, was placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger in 2013, alongside five other Syrian heritage sites. Between 2015 and 2017, Palmyra experienced the loss of nearly 40% of its historic buildings and landmarks. The site’s remote location and ongoing armed conflict pose additional challenges in accessing and preserving it.This paper introduces an interactive online platform employing 360° media to document and disseminate information about the world heritage site of Palmyra. The platform contributes to the safeguarding process of Palmyra, facilitating public engagement and interaction with the site. It also has potential applications for other sites in Syria and beyond. The platform allows users to explore both archival and current information of damaged historical monuments and buildings, revealing their layered histories before and after demolition. Employing interactive 360° media, similar to applications like Google Street View, the platform offers a reality-based digital environment. Users can virtually move into different buildings or follow specific pathways within the site, accessing archival information and documentation about particular monuments and buildings along their journey.This project serves as a unique informational resource for decision-makers and policy planners, aiding in the understanding of the site and the development of relevant strategies and recommendations. It also proves beneficial as an educational tool. The collective understanding fostered by this platform is expected to positively influence post-conflict restoration and reconstruction plans, making it an invaluable asset for research and educational purposes.

Historical Analysis of Gilgit Baltistan and Evaluation of Its Ethnic Diversity

Gilgit Baltistan is located at the junction of central and South Asia, at the essence of three mighty mountain ranges: the Hindukush, the Himalaya, and the Karakorum, with a wholesome number of glaciers and a worthful quantity of mighty hills. Besides the ancient language, Burushaski is one aspect of cultural variation. The glimpses of historical monuments, multiple ruins of archeological sites, and Buddhist relics narrate the splendid past of this region, which works multidimensionally in projecting the beauty of this land, promoting tourism, exploring the cultural diversity, encouraging the socio-economic status and infrastructure development. The land of Gilgit Baltistan is unique and has geographical, geological, racial, linguistic, and cultural diversity. These artistic, social, ethnic, and linguistic aspects make the foundation of regional identity, which is used in local and regional politics and later emerges in large-scale conflicts and disputes. This study explores the historical prospects of Gilgit Baltistan in a chronological manner in addition to its contemporary geostrategic significance. In the current scenario, the historical analysis of Gilgit Baltistan is contributing more after the advent of the Pakistan Economic Corridor, which refers to the increasing socio-economic development and decreasing cultural conflict.

Review of cultural and educational tourism objects based on the samurai heritage of Japan

The article examines the main objects of display of the cultural samurai heritage of Japan: historical monuments, museums and architectural objects of cultural value, as well as festivals of Japan with samurai.

USE OF FOREIGN STRATEGIES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF TOURISM POTENTIAL OF UZBEKISTAN

Uzbekistan attracts the attention of the whole world with its many historical and architectural monuments, diverse climate and rapid development

Spatial Distribution of Relationship between Historical Monuments and Tourism: The Case Study of Bihor County in Romania

Spatial Distribution of Relationship between Historical Monuments and Tourism: The Case Study of Bihor County in Romania

Comparison Regarding the Carbon Footprint of Various Sustainable Seismic Consolidation Solutions for Romanian Orthodox Churches

In Romania, there are numerous Orthodox churches, many of which are historical monuments of great cultural value that have suffered multiple degradations over time due to various natural or man-made reasons. In a context that is currently increasingly focused on environmental protection, we aim to analyse the carbon footprint of several different consolidation proposals to an Orthodox church with structural deteriorations (and more) and the equivalent impact if a similar building were erected with new materials. The research is proposed to be a stepping stone for determining the sustainability of interventions for orthodox churches, as the existing literature is scarce when it comes to the emissions of these churches and there is no norm to prevent unsustainable interventions. The Orthodox Church “Sfintii Voievozi”, the subject of the analysis, is in the city of Tg. Jiu, Gorj County. The construction was documented to be between 1748 and 1764 and is a historical monument listed in the LMI GJ-II-m-A-09189 registry. The architectural solutions for the church and the structural elements that comprise the load-bearing system are presented. A detailed investigation was conducted to determine structural and non-structural degradations, specifying the main causes that have produced them. With regard to consolidation solutions, two options are presented and compared in this paper: Alternative I—minimal intervention and Alternative II—maximal intervention, both of which are reversible. The carbon footprint calculation was carried out for both options, determining the associated material consumption, and compared to the carbon footprint for the case of a new construction. In conclusion, the consolidation methods with a minimal degree of intervention is recommended as the “most environmentally friendly”, considering carbon emissions when comparing the options.

Building the Nation in Stone and Wood. Restorations and Writings about Historical Monuments in the First Half of the Twentieth Century in Romania

The paper looks at restoration and preservation practices and at art history writings to explore attitudes and mentalities in the first decades of the twentieth century in Romania. It deciphers the creation of an architectural heritage and the meanings of writings about and restoring historical monuments in a young nation-state that expanded significantly after World War I. Some of the major restoration sites in Romania, around 1900, are analysed together with several of the architectural history writings of the interwar period that reveal a growing turn to nationalism in the Romanian cultural and political spheres.

Heritage Identification of monuments using Deep Learning Techniques

The Heritage Identification of Monuments web application employs different Machine learning technologies like Convolutional Neural Networks(CNN) and Deep Learning, to identify historical sites and monuments. The project focuses on training machine learning model to identify heritage sites and monuments with the use of CNN to extract features from images and help in identifying historical monuments. This project focuses on collection data from satellite images and user contributions, thus expanding the database and offering information on different identified monuments. This initiative aims to promote general awareness among the public and promote heritage preservation with labelled datasets and machine learning technologies. Machine learning techniques have evolved over the years, in this project we highlight the main techniques and algorithms by which we extract data from images and compare different mathematical models to test the accuracy. Additionally, the web-app helps to create a good reach among the masses and raise awareness. Keywords— Machine learning, Deep Learning, Convolution Neural Network (CNN), Pattern Recognition, Indian Monuments, Open source.

Symbolism of Sacred Art in Water Conduits

Nepal is a country with abundance of traditional art, architecture and culture. Almost every monument comprises faith, belief, devotion and sacredness which are initiated to be expressed through symbolic representation. Historicity of water conduit of Kathmandu valley can be traced back to early Cristian Era. They were installed to fulfill basic need of water. Flowing water is compared to goddess Ganga. Thus, every water conduit is equated to goddess Ganga with depiction of a crocodile, her vehicle. Cent percent water conduits of the valley consists of sculptural art associated to Hindu or Buddhist deities and a few with architectural monuments. It also comprises sculptural art of several creatures as; serpent, fish, frog, chameleon, mongoose. These deities, monuments and creatures are found to be a symbolic expression of theme associated with religious belief and faith. In this context, finding out the theme of an art expressed in a water conduit, chief feature of sacred sculptural art of water conduits and symbolic representation of sculptural art of water conduits of Kathmandu valley have been focused as an objective of this research. This qualitative research is based upon historical fact. Thus, the facts are collected from historical monuments through survey, interview, collection of photographs and are analyzed in a descriptive way. Related literary sources have been consulted as a secondary source. From several references, it is to be considered that water conduits of the valley have been basically set up for social and religious utility with installation of several deities according to their faith. Art of each conduit as well as image portrays specific features belong to related historical age. Besides this, each sculptural art depicted on the conduit conveys symbolism of goddess Ganga and several pilgrimages composed within a precise pious abode.

Design of exhibition halls in historical buildings of the 20th century

The article raises the issue of adapting the space of historic buildings for exhibition installations, as the exhibition is one of the modern effective ways to demonstrate the cultural and historical heritage of society. Historical monuments are a valuable architectural heritage, so when designing an exhibition space in them, it is necessary to take into account all aspects that will ensure the preservation of the building’s authenticity. The purpose of the article is to study and analyse the methods of designing exhibition halls in 20th-century buildings. The following methods are used: the historical method, the method of comparative analysis, and the systematic method. The study found that exhibition design is one of the most influential management tools in the process of gaining new experiences in galleries, museums, and art centers. Exhibits have a significant impact on the development of socio-political, historical, cultural, educational, and other sectors. The creation of a museum exhibition should be based on a preliminary design. The designer should take into account all technical, scientific, and artistic aspects of the task and offer a successful solution for the presentation of exhibits. Depending on the thematic focus of the exhibition, other specialists should be involved in each stage of design: curators, art historians, and management. The features of creating an exhibition design in historical buildings of the 20th century were considered. The artistic movements that emerged in the 20th century are analysed and characterised, and their influence on exhibition design is revealed. The main stages of the development of exhibition design, the emergence of multimedia technologies and their impact on the audience’s perception of exhibits are identified. The features of designing in historical buildings are described, aspects of harmonious combination of design with the environment of the existing building are considered. Examples of creating museums in historical monuments are found. The types of exhibition spaces and classification of exhibitions are analysed. The fundamental means of building a spatial composition are described. The practical value of the study is that the information can be used to write future research papers on the topic of exhibition design. The information obtained can be used to create design projects for exhibition halls

Reviving History of Forts and Monuments using Blender and VR

Some Indian States are enrich in their cultural values which has the ancient history of the millennia. There are many research on ancient history focused on culture monuments and forts, which are studied from various sources such as art, literature and architecture. Emerging technology empowering for automation the manual system such as scanning, data sharing, geotag API used in cultural preservance and to store the glory of the sites. This paper enlightening the system which will help to show exact required time to visit and helps the visitors to explore the destinations and their websites, which including the information about each destination from origin to current beautiful scenery. The proposed system provides extra featuresof3D-model in Virtual Reality (VR) form, information and blogs where visitors can be explore more about places and the daily visitors data. The proposed software also included QR code scanning feature used for avoiding pollutant substances like plastic bottles, polythene bags etc. This feature will control the environment pollution and generated the challan to the offenders which will help to maintain the natural scenery and tourism sustainability

Public Funds as a Source of Financing Revalorization of Sacral Historical Monuments: The Example of Poland

Public Funds as a Source of Financing Revalorization of Sacral Historical Monuments: The Example of Poland

Stones that Tell Stories

When a historical building, monument, or cultural heritage artifact is affected by a natural or anthropic event, the first reaction is to recover and restore to maintain our heritage for the next generations. If they are made of stone, some are completely destroyed, but it is often still possible to recognize the facts that made them a cultural item. In many cases, the marks of violent actions are visible on the stone, especially if the impacts came from a non-massive destructive weapon, such as rifle bullet marks or cannon marks from centuries ago, with a lower level of destruction than today. These marks are also part of our heritage and, as a reminder of the history of our cities and countries for generations, it is recommended that they be preserved as a testimony to avoid the repetition of unnecessary violence. This is the aim of the stones that tell stories.

A Study of the Kharkiv Architectural Avant-Garde

The article addresses the issue of preserving Kharkiv’s architectural heritage from the first third of the 20th century. The main focus is on the preservation of authenticity of the early modernist heritage in the context of a crisis situation associated with the overall state of heritage preservation in Ukraine and during active military operations. The research was conducted in the context of the planning development and spatial structure of the Kharkiv historical center and suburbs, where new workers’ settlements were formed, as well as considering the architectural layers within the structure of historical districts of Kharkiv. The main objective of the study is to determine the value and authenticity of the architectural heritage of early modernism. The study employed the methods of historical, retrospective, and comprehensive analysis. The general plan of the “Socialist Reconstruction of Kharkiv” from 1931-1933 and the historical-architectural reference plan of Kharkiv from 2019 were analysed as additional sources. The research results provide comprehensive information about the architectural and urban heritage of this period and emphasize the attention to the issue of preservation of authenticity. The conclusions of this work will serve as a basis for further development of specific measures for the conservation, restoration, and preservation of historical monuments in Kharkiv from the first third of the 20th century. The research will also contribute to raising public awareness about the value of early modernist architectural heritage and encourage the implementation of restoration programs to preserve these important landmarks.

Niche Heritage Tourism in Stingray Island: The Case of Japanese Defense Heritage in Indonesia

Objective: The purpose of this study is to analyze the competitiveness of Morotai Island, located in North Maluku, in terms of tourism development potential. Theoretical Framework: Tourism, defined as the movement of people to increase employment opportunities, local community economies, international trade, export revenue, foreign exchange earnings and investment, is influenced by a variety of social, cultural, and economic variables. Therefore, heritage sites and historic monuments are critical to urban development because they promote a sense of community among citizens while also emphasizing local identity and location. Method: Empirical research was carried out utilizing an inductive methodology using a variety of primary and secondary data sources. Results and Discussion: Results indicate that to further strengthen the community and further its tourism and regeneration aims, it could be beneficial for the autonomous organization organizing and overseeing social and cultural events and activities. Furthemore, to develop a range of tourism supporting services, the inventiveness of the region’s tourism entrepreneurs also require training in the early stages of region’s development. Research Implications: The study implicates an overall belief that improving Morotai's urban and economic landscape through tourism will either keep locals in the area or discourage them from leaving in pursuit of better opportunities and a higher standard of living. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the community heritage-based tourism as a tool of diversifying its local economic structure. This research precisely to recognize historic-heritage area in as a strategic instrument to develop rural areas.