List Of UNESCO World Heritage Sites Research Articles

Patrimonio per la Pace in un Mondo Pieno di Conflitti

Despite studies highlighting UNESCO's role in building a world in peace, the link between cultural heritage, human rights and social relations may also trigger social and/or ethnic conflicts. The contribution reveals these dynamics through an investigation of the events that took place during the 40th Committee of the World Heritage Center, held in Istanbul in July 2016 in which the the Armenian archaeological site Ani was inscribed in the UNESCO list. On the same occasion, in an unofficial way, there were discussions on the interventions of the Turkish army in another site registered in the 2015 list "Cultural landscape of the Diyarbakır fortress" characterized by a predominantly Kurdish population. Activist groups denounced the destruction of Kurdish heritage and memory by the Turkish army accusing UNESCO of taking an indifferent position. The contribution highlights the consequences that precede and follow the processes of registration in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list.

MULTIDISCIPLINARY ANALYSIS OF THE VERNACULAR SETTLEMENTS IN USHGULI (UPPER SVANETI, GEORGIA)

Abstract. Ushguli, located in the Upper Svaneti region (Georgia), represents the highest point of human occupation before the permanent snowed highlands that separate Georgia from Russia. The local inhabitants (Svan) are described as an aggressive community with warrior habits. Their history is one of permanent conflict. Most of the major empires of the ancient world (Persia, Greece, Rome and Byzantium) disputed this territory. In the Middle Ages, when natural conditions secured their isolation, the established feudal system preserved, until recent times, the warrior culture of the Svan through a judicial system based on blood feuds. The necessity to defend their territory from invaders, as well as the violent conflicts between families, influenced their settlement morphology, as well as their vernacular architecture. Four small settlements (Chvibiani, Zhibiani, Chazhashi and Murkmeli) constitute the Ushguli province, inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list since 1996. This paper aims to study the Ushgulli traditional urban morphology, which does not correspond to any classical urban element. The overlapping between private and public spaces and the inexistence of a standard concept of street or square are some of their peculiar features; some of which have an important influence on the organization of vernacular buildings. These buildings do not present a dominating facade or any other type of hierarchical composition towards the exterior. Under the scope of the Project 3D Past a multidisciplinary approach (Architecture, Urban Morphology and History) is used to better understand the original features of these peculiar settlements.

The Struve Geodetic Arc: the development of the triangulation, technical possibilities, and the initiation of the project

Abstract. The determination of parameters of the Earth's ellipsoid is quite a difficult task that gives no rest to scientists to this day. One of the more famous works is the Struve Geodetic Arc, which was stretched from the Black Sea to the Arctic Ocean by employing the method of a triangulation network and which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list. However, until this project was implemented, many steps of scientific and technological advancement had to be taken, the entirety of which created the conditions for the realization of this project. A study of the method of triangulation measurements, the development of geodetic devices, the state politics of the Russian Empire in the 17th–19th centuries in the field of geodesy, and the development of triangulation during this period are presented in the article. Moreover, a study of the origins of the Struve Geodetic Arc project that led to such a grand result is conducted. The obtained results reveal that certain factors predetermined the favourable conditions for the successful execution of the project of this geodetic arc.

The Jurassic Coast: Geoscience and education – An overview

The Dorset and East Devon Coast World Heritage Site (the Jurassic Coast) was inscribed in 2001 on the UNESCO World Heritage Site List. The inscription recognises the Jurassic Coast’s outstanding universal value in the history of geological science and thought, particularly its special contribution to Mesozoic palaeontology and stratigraphy and evidence of coastal processes and geomorphology. This Special Issue of the Proceedings of the Geologists’ Association celebrates this Site’s unique contribution to geosciences and education, and sets the scene for further research and collaboration.

ENVIRONMENTAL MICROCLIMATE MANAGEMENT AND RISK IN THE UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE OF VILLA BARBARO MASER (ITALY)

Abstract. Indoor environment in heritage buildings can be cause of damage for architecture and artefacts which depend on several physical and chemical parameters: air temperature, relative humidity, volatile organic compounds, etc. How is it possible to evaluate their damage, or the risk of damages? How “aggressive” is indoor microclimate? The scientific literature proposes several different criteria for the evaluation of the risk of damages, especially in the field of museums, while there are few studies which take into consideration historic buildings. In this paper we propose an index – the Heritage indoor Microclimate Risk (HMR) – that allows to define the risk concerning the whole environment and not only the artefacts. Moreover, we propose its application to a real case study of a UNESCO Heritage World Site, obtained through indoor microclimate on-site monitoring and building simulation. The case study reported is Villa Barbaro, built in Maser (1554–1560) by the architect Andrea Palladio and registered in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list since 1996, as Palladian Villa of Veneto. The research is structured as follows: monitoring campaign of the microclimatic parameters; virtual modelling of Villa Barbaro and its validation (by comparing the simulated data and the monitored ones); construction of scenarios which can aid to guarantee the historic building’s conservation and the occupants’ comfort; definition of HMR. The innovative aspect of the proposed methodology is the use of a virtual building model of heritage buildings, to determine, through a single index, the degree of risk and the level of indoor microclimate aggression.

The Homestay Phenomenon: Expedient Homes in the Majestic Cordillera Highlands

Utilizing combination of quantitative and qualitative research approaches using the techniques of survey, open-ended questions and interviews, this study aimed to: (a) describe Batad’s geographical location and ecotourism attractions; (b) analyze Batad’s Homestay as a potential economic driver to boost local tourism efforts; (c) identify current enablers as well as challenges of the homestay industry; and (d) propose relevant recommendations to ensure the sustainability of the homestay industry. Results revealed that Batad is one of the 18 barangays of the municipality of Banaue, province of Ifugao, Philippines. It is famous for its amphitheater-like rice terraces, one of the five clusters of rice terraces in Ifugao that was inscribed in the 1995 UNESCO World Heritage Site list. This once isolated farming community is steadily transforming itself into a tourism community. It was found that some local attractions in Batad consist of: (a) Batad’s Rice Terraces resembling an amphitheater; (b) the Tappiyah Waterfalls; (c) the Awa view; (d) Sitio Patpat; (e) Batad’s Traditional Ifugao huts; and (f) Batad’s Socio-Cultural Activities. The homestay owners were dominated by female entrepreneurs, in their middle adulthood and were mostly Batad residents. Most homestays have limited staff as the homestay industry was only a part time source of income. Capacitation trainings mostly consisted of first aid or emergency response trainings, front office, social etiquettes, banquet and housekeeping. Some enabling mechanisms comprised: continuing presence of local and foreign tourists; global, national and local presence or efforts to preserve the rice terraces; infrastructural project especially the paving of roads that lead to Batad and electrification; national and local environmental education programs; rich ecotourism sites; and capacitation or assistance extended by local and national agencies. Some challenges comprised: limited contribution in community environmental education awareness; limited representation in tourism development; lacked of internet, cell phone and television signals; inadequate marketing strategies; inexperienced homestay staff; lack of waste disposal and drainage; continuing professionalization of staff; how to create unique brand image; and inadequate financial support for farmers to sustain the rice terraces.

READING THE TRANSFORMATION OF OTTOMAN SULTAN COMPLEXES IN BURSA IN URBAN AND ARCHITECTURAL SCALE SINCE 19TH CENTURY

The first Sultan Complexes (kulliyes) of the Ottoman Empire, built in Bursa during the 14th and 15th centuries, played an important role in the formation of residential buildings around and in determining the main transportation axes in the development of the city. These five complexes, including social and religious buildings, left significant traces in cityscape until the 20th century, in addition to their spiritual values in urban history and became an integral part of urban identity. From the 20th century onwards, the developing dynamics of cities threatened the sustainability of monumental buildings and endangered their original identity. Bursa was included in UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 2014 with these complexes that preserved their authenticity and integrity in large despite these changes. However, high-rise buildings in the city began to dominate cityscape and the visibility of the complexes in the city skyline gradually disappeared. In this study, transformation of Sultan Complexes of Early Ottoman Period in Bursa has been analysed in terms of urban and architectural scales from the 19th century onwards. By comparing 1862 Suphi Bey map – the first city map including the most comprehensive information about the urban fabric of Bursaand the actual city map, changes in urban fabric around the complexes have been identified. In addition, comparison of the 19th century city photographs and engravings with actual photographs helped to reveal the changes in city skyline and the transformations in architectural scale. Keywords: Urban identity, Ottoman Sultan Complex (kulliye), Bursa

Monuments of the Czech Republic on the UNESCO World Heritage Site List and their Significance for Geotourism

The article presents the monuments from the Czech Republic enlisted on the UNESCO World Heritage Site List. Each country tries to choose representative sites and monuments that document the structural and architectural development in a given region. Therefore, the Czech Republic carried out an analysis of their monuments. As the Czech Republic has a very rich and expressive history in the very centre of Europe, its history has significantly affected its civil engineering and architecture. It is also a country with a varied geological structure and geomorphology. Today's untraditional forms of tourism, among which we also find geotourism, may thus build on such knowledge and expand the current offer of destinations. Learning about the geological structure is also important in terms of future renovation and reconstruction work. The current list of UNESCO cultural sites will be expanded by further unique sites and buildings. For this reason, it is important to combine knowledge from more specialised disciplines, such as geology and mining science.

Excavating the Nabataean Incense Road

ABSTRACT Excavations conducted along the Nabataean Incense Road, which extends from Petra to Gaza, highlight the changes and development of this historic trade route over time. Long-distance trade reached its apex following the Roman annexation of Nabataea in 106 CE, followed by a marked decline during the third century CE. Seven of these key sites were conserved between 1993 and 2000, culminating in the inscription of the Nabataean Incense Road on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 2005.

Mapping the Antonine Wall

The Antonine Wall was the north-west frontier of the Roman Empire in the mid 2nd century AD. It was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 2008. The nomination process required a detailed assessment of the location and mapping of the monument, and the production of new maps of the Wall. This was accompanied by a new map of the Antonine Wall, designed for a general audience.

Extremely slow slope movements influencing the stability of Spis Castle, UNESCO site

Spis Castle, a monument included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list (Eastern Slovakia) is built on a travertine mound overlying soft Paleogene rocks. Lateral spreading resulting from the subsidence of strong upper travertine into soft claystone strata has fractured and separated the castle rock into several cliffs. The differential movement of individual cliff faces is the primary influence on the stability of the monument. In order to monitor and quantify the movement, two techniques were adopted: a mechanical-optical TM-71 crack gauge and a demec gauge (demountable mechanical—SOMET type crack gauge). This paper presents the results and interpretation of medium and short-term monitoring at the site.