World Heritage Research Articles

Rationalisation of factories in Norway: from classical to modern architecture 1920–1929

This period experiences the process of rationalisation – not only of industrial production but also industrial buildings’ technology. This paper demonstrates how this process affected the Rjukan and Notodden UNESCO World Heritage Site in Norway during the period of 1920–1929. The post-war period demanded change since one of the world’s leading industrial nations, the USA, had seemingly advanced from European counterparts. Countries like Germany would adapt these new methods of rationalising construction through prefabricated manufactured building systems. This method would have an impact and lasting effect on architectural style. An era of neo-classical expression dominated by classically trained architects was challenged by engineers’ design of defined and efficient structural systems. This move to simplicity eventually inspired architects to develop it further to a style of functionalistic expression. Modernism was born, and it was encouraged through rationalisation and repetition of standardised details. The systems of this period were built on technology such as steel and concrete skeletal structures. They were developed further to be more material resourceful and time efficient. Researching building systems and analysing their characteristics supports not only future conservation work but also it connects to the global context of architecture and engineering history.

Identification of some wooden materials used in Bam world heritage site

Identification of some wooden materials used in Bam world heritage site

‘Internationalising’ Nature at the End of Empire: The Rise of Conservation NGOs in Africa and the Roots of the World Heritage Convention

‘Internationalising’ Nature at the End of Empire: The Rise of Conservation NGOs in Africa and the Roots of the World Heritage Convention

Cultural Heritage Experience from the Perspective of Tourist Narratives on Tripadvisor: A Qualitative Study on “Olympos”

Olympos, one of the Ancient Lycian Civilization Cities, is on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List. Every year, thousands of tourists visit the region to trace the footsteps of previous communities and cultural heritage. At this point, research was conducted to discover how tourists perceive the heritage experience in the ancient city of Olympos and what influences them. To answer the research question, tourist narratives were examined. The data was obtained from TripAdvisor, the world's leading travel platform. The narratives of 201 tourists who visited the destination between 2007 and 2023 were accessed, and comprehensive information was obtained through content analysis. The findings show that tourists visiting the ancient city of Olympos had a generally positive experience that combined history, culture, and nature. It has also been determined that visitors have an emotional, cognitive, and sensory response to visual and physical interactions. These reactions are thought to be the result of humans' desire for positive experiences. Depending on the research findings and implications, some recommendations are made to tourism practitioners and academics.

Earliest Movement of Sarsen Into the Stonehenge Landscape: New Insights from Geochemical and Visibility Analysis of the Cuckoo Stone and Tor Stone

This paper presents the results of new research on two sarsen stones, known as the Cuckoo Stone and Tor Stone, both former standing stones that lie on opposite banks of the River Avon and straddle the eastern border of the Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site. Geochemical analysis indicates that both stones were probably transported to their present site from West Woods on the Marlborough Downs in north Wiltshire, a source that likely also supplied the large sarsen monoliths at Stonehenge. The paper examines the geological conditions necessary for the formation of sarsen across the site of the present-day Salisbury Plain to address the apparent absence of natural sarsen in the area. The results are integrated with those of archaeological fieldwork from nearby contemporaneous sites to suggest that the Cuckoo Stone and Tor Stone were probably introduced into the Stonehenge landscape in the early part of the Late Neolithic period, ie, contemporary with Phase 1 of Stonehenge and some 400–500 years before the construction of the principal sarsen settings at the monument. Visibility analysis indicates that the two stones were probably intervisible and likely to have formed part of a planned landscape and were positioned to create a formal portal to the Stonehenge area on either bank of the River Avon.

Evaluating the Impact of Urban Encroachment and Land Cover Changes on World Cultural Heritage Site Taxila: A Spatio-Temporal Analysis from 1990 to 2024

Rapid global urbanization during the late 20th and early 21st centuries has induced substantial land cover changes, posing significant threats to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites. In this study, we investigated the spatio-temporal change in urban development in response to land use transformations in the world cultural heritage site (CHS) of Taxila, Pakistan, to check the possible threats faced by the site. Land transfer matrices were used to assess the land cover change (LCC) between 1990 and 2024. Support vector machine and Getis–Ord Gi techniques were employed for LCC classification and spatial pattern interpretation, respectively, which were later evaluated by the high spatial resolution imagery of KH-9 (Keyhole-9), Google Earth Pro and Gaofen-2. The results indicate a significant increase in built-up area from 23.68 km2 to 78.5 km2, accompanied by a substantial rise in bare land from 8.56 km2 to 26.5 km2 between 1990 and 2024, which is quite irregular. LCC transformations were notable, with 13.1 km2 of cropland and 44.8 km2 vegetation being converted into 4.4 km2 of built-up area and 14.5 km2 into bare land during the 1990 to 2024 period. Getis–Ord Gi analysis observed a high Z-score value and showed low to high clustering patterns in the proximity of the Sarakhola and Bhir Mound sites from 1990 to 2024. Furthermore, high spatial resolution imagery indicates the loss of the core zone of the Sarakhola site from 0.0168 to 0.0032 km2 from 2004 to 2024, which was the major threat to its outstanding universal venue (OUV) status. The findings of the current study indicate that the CHS under study is facing an alarming situation for conservation due to rapid urban development and encroachment. Therefore, local government should strictly implement the heritage law and revisit their policies to promote conservation efforts to maintain the authenticity and integrity of this world CHS.

A hima traditional ecological knowledge perspective of the sustainability goals in AlUla’s journey through time masterplan

Saudi Arabia’s ‘Vision 2030’ proposes a more diversified society and a less oil-dominated economy, enabled by several ambitious best-practice sustainability urbanisation projects, one of which is the ‘Journey Through Time’ Masterplan for the urban region of AlUla in the Kingdom’s Hegra Valley. The Masterplan proposes an expansion and intensification of existing towns, economically supported by international tourism focused on the Hegra UNESCO World Heritage Site. It thereby couples tangible cultural heritage management with sustainable urban development. Yet the AlUla Masterplan has shown little evidence of engaging with the intangible heritage of traditional ecological knowledge and practices, known in Arabic as hima, which have been intrinsically connected to the ancient heritage fabric for millennia. Based on interviews with community elders and traditional knowledge-holders, site observations of traditional practices and techniques, and a review of government documents and websites, this paper demonstrates that consideration of local hima practices has the potential to integrate urban sustainability transitions together with the preservation of tangible and intangible cultural heritage. It suggests that practices embedded in local hima, like water-use and land-use arrangements, offer sustainable resource management and disaster mitigation options for the AlUla scheme; and that hima’s intrinsic social dimension, and its culture of intergenerational transmission, offers opportunities to connect heritage, community and the regional environment. Our research concludes with the benefits of integrating hima traditional ecological knowledge with cultural heritage preservation and urban modernisation, offering an approach to sustainable transformations of the region’s cities, communities and sometimes fragile resources.

Visitors’ self-expansion and perceived brand authenticity in a cultural heritage tourism destination

This paper discusses the influence of brand experience in tourism destinations on visitor behavioral intentions. The study developed and tested a conceptual model by integrating this theoretical relationship. The test involved 432 valid responses that were collected from adult visitors to UNESCO World Cultural Heritage sites in China. The results of structural equation modeling showed that all the hypotheses are supported. Specifically, the four dimensions of cultural heritage destination brand experience (sensory, intellectual, behavioral, and affective) positively affect visitor self-expansion and perceived brand authenticity. Second, self-expansion and brand authenticity contribute to the formation of place attachment, which affects visitors’ behavioral intentions. In addition, compared with brand authenticity, self-expansion has a more substantial predictive power for place attachment. Finally, self-expansion, brand authenticity, and the mediating role of place attachment were also confirmed. These results put forward critical theories and deliver significant managerial implications for the brand marketers of cultural heritage destinations.

The Characterization of the Lower Town of the UNESCO Archaeological Site of Arslantepe (Malatya, Türkiye) Using the Geophysical E-PERTI Method (Extended Data-Adaptive Probability-Based Electrical Resistivity Tomography Inversion Method)

The UNESCO site of Arslantepe is located in Eastern Anatolia in the Malatya Plain (Türkiye) about 10 km from the Euphrates River. Here for about a century archaeological excavations have been carried out, reconstructing a long sequence of human frequentation starting from 5000 years BC up to the Middle Ages. The settlement, one of the most important and largest in the region, has undergone numerous changes over time, resulting in a complex superposition of structures, palaces, temples, and burials concentrated on the hill. With the aim of extending the knowledge of the site, in 2022, geophysical surveys were carried out through the application of electrical resistivity tomography, covering a surface of approximately 4300 m2 in an unexplored area at the foot of the hill. In this paper, the Extended data-adaptive Probability-based Electrical Resistivity Tomography Inversion approach (E-PERTI), recently published as a development of the probability tomography imaging approach, has been applied to a large apparent resistivity field dataset, providing the best estimate of the most probable estimate of the resistivity distribution through an intrinsic linear regression model implementing standard least squares routines. The results seem to prove the effectiveness of the E-PERTI approach in noise dejection, enhancing associated resistivity highs that can be ascribable to the trace of a potential fortification. The obtained information represents new, unexpected data that open new frontiers of archaeological research, adding value to the knowledge of the site.

Impact of a lagoon with high anthropic activity on a World Heritage Site.

The Ichkeul-Bizerte Lagoon Complex (IBLC), a critical ecosystem for local biodiversity, faces a pressing threat due to climate change and severe pollution. Despite past conservation efforts, pollution persists, particularly in the Bizerte Lagoon. This study investigated the impact of water dynamics and climatic conditions on heavy metal contamination in the IBLC's sediments. During the dry hydrological year of 2019/2020, 80 surface sediment samples were collected and analyzed for heavy metal concentrations using inductively coupled plasma. Sediment quality was first evaluated by comparing heavy metal concentrations against sediment quality guidelines established by NOAA. Additionally, contamination indices, including the contamination factor (CF), pollution load index (PLI), and geo-accumulation index (Igeo), were utilized to provide a more detailed assessment. Spatial and temporal variations in contamination were assessed, with seasonal variations mapped using the inverse distance weighting method. The findings revealed that El-Fouledh, the Menzel Jamil industrial area, and the Menzel Abderrahmane port are the primary pollution sources. The spatial distribution of pollution shows a decreasing gradient from the east (Bizerte Lagoon) to the west (Lake Ichkeul), with high levels of cadmium, lead, and zinc exceeding sediment quality guidelines and posing significant threats to this Ramsar-listed ecosystem. Spearman´s correlation coefficient highlighted the persistence of pollution across seasons, emphasizing the urgent need for comprehensive management strategies to mitigate pollution and preserve the IBLC's ecological integrity.

Research on Vietnamese Cultural Tourism

Vietnam is a country with great potential and advantages in building and developing cultural tourism with more than 40000 relics, including more than 10000 provincial relics, more than 3600 national relics, 128 special national relics, 15 intangible cultural heritages recognized by UNESCO. On the basis of exploiting and promoting the values ​​of cultural heritage, many localities in Vietnam have been forming and developing quite diverse cultural tourism products, such as the tourism route connecting the world heritage of ASEAN countries, the Central heritage tourism route, Hue festival, Nha Trang sea festival, Ha Long sea carnival festival, Da Lat flower festival... This study focuses on analyzing the practical development of cultural tourism in Vietnam based on a survey of localities with unique features, cultural diversity and a great role and influence on the development of the country, that is the capital Hanoi. Besides studying the core content of cultural tourism development, the author surveys and evaluates the factors affecting the cultural tourism development of Hanoi Capital, thereby discussing policy issues for reference and application to many localities in Vietnam.

Farnese palace in Caprarola, Italy: Towards a people-centred brand image in a cultural tourism market

The valorization of cultural identity-centered brand icons has become a requested action nowadays, promoting the marketing statement of local heritage sites that aren’t designated as UNESCO World Heritage. Thus, these sites might compete to enhance and safeguard cultural heritage and authentic cultural knowledge. Moreover, lessening the high negative impact of the customization approach on the conservation statement of the cultural asset, the research adopts a people-centered approach developing the interlinkages between cultural tourism marketing and conservative management to enhance the rapport between the community and the palace in a community-based cultural tourism manner. Therefore, this empirical study reviews the cultural significance of the Farnese Palace in Caprarola and its reflection on its marketing statement, developing its brand image. It applies an integrated method that combines quantitative and qualitative analysis. It mainly assesses 165 online questionnaires with the public audience. The findings of this study draw a proposal for generating a people-centered heritage branding image (logo and slogan) of the Farnese Palace in Caprarola that seeks to generate a lifelong learning memory for the community and a long-term brand image for the visitors’ mentality.

Estimating feral cat (Felis catus) population density in eastern Australia’s subtropical rainforest using spatial capture-recapture incorporating unidentified individuals

Context Management of broadly distributed invasive species requires knowledge of population densities across multiple ecosystems. The feral cat (Felis catus) has a continental distribution in Australia and has caused many declines and extinctions; however, density estimates from several ecosystems are few or lacking. Camera trapping data coupled with spatially explicit capture–recapture analysis is a suitable approach for estimating cat densities. However, if a large portion of individuals cannot be identified, density estimation may be difficult and estimates may be too low. Aims We aimed to estimate the feral cat density and population size within the subtropical Gondwanan Rainforest of eastern Australia, an area with world heritage status and high biodiversity values, and in which cat density was not known. Methods We used feral cat data from a grid of 60 camera traps deployed over 305 days in Border Ranges National Park, totalling 18,300 camera trapping nights. We employed a ‘random thinning’ spatially explicit capture–recapture model that considered detections of both known and unknown feral cat identities. Our modelling included a primary detection history of identified individuals and a secondary detection history that included pelage type, which allowed us to account for individuals with homogeneous pelage types. Key results Feral cat density was estimated at 0.858 cats km−2 (95% HPDI 0.432, 1.385), which is much higher than the average feral cat density across the Australian continent of 0.27 cats km−2 (95% CI: 0.18–0.45). The probability of identifying unique individuals was low for black and tabby cats compared with other pelage types. Population sizes during the four survey periods were estimated to be similar, with posterior medians ranging from 197 to 202 individuals and 95% highest posterior density intervals ranging from 95 to 329 individuals within a ~234 km2 area. Conclusions Our study provides the first robust feral cat density estimate from a subtropical rainforest ecosystem. Implications Our results add to a growing body of literature that suggests feral cat densities are high in productive mesic reserves of eastern Australia. Management of feral cats in Gondwanan World Heritage Areas should be prioritised to limit impacts on narrow-range endemic species that are likely prey to feral cats.

Local Voices, Global Goals: Participatory Planning for Localizing the UN SDGs in UNESCO Heritage Site Management

Local Voices, Global Goals: Participatory Planning for Localizing the UN SDGs in UNESCO Heritage Site Management

Relevance of buffer zones in protecting World Heritage Sites (WHS) in urban contexts: case of Indian WHS

Relevance of buffer zones in protecting World Heritage Sites (WHS) in urban contexts: case of Indian WHS

World Heritage in Macau and its Blocked view problems

World Heritage in Macau and its Blocked view problems

Numerical analysis of the large-scale water supply network accident consequences on the engineering and geological conditions of a heritage site

Recent accidents in water supply networks have the negative impact on the state of the historical and architectural heritage of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, which has been formed over many centuries and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We have analysed the water supply system emergency situation on the territory of the Metropolitan Garden that occurred in October 2022 during the Russian military aggression. It caused surface sinkholes, increased groundwater levels, and significant destruction of a historical underground – the Metropolitan Cellar. The study was carried out using numerical analysis implemented in Plaxis 2D. To resolve the uncertainties of the accident, several options for developing the emergency situation were considered, taking into account the number of probable pipe leakages, their size, etc. Accident parameterization was performed with a leakage volume of 1600.0 m3/day, considering damage to the water supply network in two locations. The volume of the watered soil mass was 7.0-8.5 thousand m3. We evaluated the state of destruction of the southern and southeastern branches of the Metropolitan Cellar. Engineering measures for strengthening the section of the Monastery walls with buttress elements, increasing the width of the foundations by means of additional concrete and piling are studied. The numerical calculations were verified using the results of geophysical surveys. Comparison of analytical calculations, geophysical surveys and field surveys showed that parts of the underground structure were completely destroyed. Their restoration is possible only by modern methods through reconstruction, that will lead to a loss of authenticity, which is unacceptable for historical structures. To take preventive actions for the protection of monuments, it is necessary to conduct continuous monitoring.

Three-Dimensional Digital Documentation for the Conservation of the Prambanan Temple Cluster Using Guided Multi-Sensor Techniques

The Prambanan Temple cluster is a world heritage site that has significant value for humanity, a multiple zone cluster arrangement of highly ornamented towering temples, and a Hindu architectural pattern design. It lies near the Opak Fault, at the foothills of Mount Merapi, on an unstable ground layer, and is surrounded by human activities in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The site’s vulnerability implies the necessity of 3D digital documentation for its conservation, but its complexity poses difficulties. This work aimed to address this challenge by introducing the utilization of architectural pattern design (APD) to guide multi-sensor line-ups for documentation. First, APDs were established from the literature to derive the associated multiple detail levels; then, multiple sensors and modes of light detection and ranging (Lidar) scanners and photogrammetry were utilized according to their detail requirements and, finally, point cloud data were processed, integrated, assessed, and validated by the proof of the existence of an APD. The internal and external qualities of each sensor result showed the millimeter- to centimeter-range root mean squared error, with the terrestrial laser scanner (TLS) having the best accuracy, followed by aerial close-range and terrestrial-mode photogrammetry and nadiral Lidar and photogrammetry. Two relative cloud distance analyses of every point cloud model to the reference model (TLS) returned the millimeter and centimeter ranges of the mean distance values. Furthermore, visually, every point cloud model from each sensor successfully complemented each other. Therefore, we can conclude that our approach is promising for complex heritage documentation. These results provide a solid foundation for future analyses, particularly in assessing structural vulnerabilities and informing conservation strategies.

Farmers’ livelihood resilience and its optimisation path in world heritage sites: a Chinese case study

ABSTRACT In the context of global environmental change and tourism market volatility, the livelihood resilience in World Heritage Site (WHS) faces serious challenges. We designed a combinatorial assessment model aimed at analyzing and enhancing the household livelihood resilience in WHS. By combining barrier degree model and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis, we provide an identification of the key factors determining the livelihood resilience in WHS and selects Yulong River National Area in Guangxi, China, as a case site. Results suggested that (i) The livelihood resilience in WHS is generally low, with relatively high self-organization capacity, medium levels of psychological perception and buffer capacity, and the weakest learning capacity; (ii) The Livelihood Resilience Index varies according to the type of main livelihood activity of the household, which is ranked in ascending order as tourism livelihood, worker livelihood, farming livelihood, and multi-income source livelihood; (iii) On different livelihood dimensions, buffer capacity has the most significant impact among tourism livelihood and farming livelihood, while self-organization capacity plays a key role among farming livelihood and multi-income source livelihood. In addition, the size of tourism operated house, voice in rural tourism development, social connectivity and household educational inputs were the major barriers to livelihood resilience among all types of households; (iv) Through configurational analysis, we further reveal three main pathways for achieving high livelihood resilience.

S G ang Gwaay and World Heritage preservation in a time of climate change

S G ang Gwaay, a UNESCO World Heritage site located on Haida Gwaii (formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands), British Columbia, was inscribed as a World Heritage property with very little initial involvement of the Haida, the Indigenous descendant community native to Haida Gwaii who originally built and inhabited S G ang Gwaay. Since the site’s inscription, Haida have begun playing a major role in site management. The Haida have only agreed to non-invasive preservation on S G ang Gwaay due to their belief that the poles and structures that constitute S G ang Gwaay should return to the earth. This article argues that this belief, which conflicts with standard conservation practices, exemplifies a conflict of interest central to the World Heritage programme, ie whether precedence should be given to the values of rights-holding communities – whose interests may not align with site preservation – or to the longevity of the sites themselves. The accelerated rate of degradation brought on by climate change will force a compromise to be struck on how the site will be preserved, if at all.