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The rebuilding of war-damaged historic cities has a significant impact on the way the affected societies can heal and recover in the post-conflict situation. If carried out without taking into consideration the inseparable relationship between the built structures and the formation of people’s identity, the reconstruction processes could cause more damage than the one endured due to the conflict. In this context, the rebuilding of cities and their historic centres in particular play a significant role in restoring the collective memory of the shared setting.
This dissertation researches the disturbing effects and trauma resulting from the deliberate destruction of heritage assets during armed conflicts, concerning both inhabitants and ancient urban structures. It discusses the discourse on the issue of post-conflict reconstruction that includes the arguments and recommendations made by several international experts and organizations which stipulates with both theoretical and practical outcome. The work of many theorists, authors, architects, philosophers, and professionals working in the field of heritage management, is examined thoroughly to provide a deep understanding of the issues discussed throughout this research.
The most recent illustration within this context is the war in Syria, which has caused excessive damage to the country’s cultural heritage. Noting that the military clashes have come to an end in several areas within the country and the physical damage has stopped, reconstruction projects have begun to materialize, and the urgent need for an overall consistent framework for rebuilding Syria is more crucial than ever.
Syria’s cultural heritage is facing a high threat of a second destruction, which will most likely follow if the involved governmental representatives, stakeholders, society or ‘societies’ did not realize the fundamental necessity for a value-based reconstruction approach which guarantees that the assessment of values is carried out and achieved in a balanced manner. Otherwise, mistakes will occur, and consequently, the collective memory and identity of the Syrians might never be recovered.
The rebuilding of post-war Syria is complex and challenging; it embraces more than a physical transformation of urban structures, and poses new threats to achieve psychological healing and recovering. The urban integrity of the Syrian cities is threatened, especially in the old city of Aleppo where the damage goes beyond the physical fabric and extends to endanger the city’s historical identity. Therefore, the main focus of the work is to develop a strategic framework which goes hand in hand with the traditional rebuilding approaches, and merges several practical and theoretical contexts deduced from previous case studies. The essence of the research revolves around understanding the significance of the city’s heritage and historic fabric, which must be considered a priority when deciding for the reconstruction procedures.
The material authenticity of cultural heritage has been questioned by societies in which the modern paradigm of conservation has not developed from within the native culture. This paper examines the philosophical and practical traditions in Iran regarding the materiality and authenticity of past structures. By reviewing the emergence of the Western conservation paradigm in Iran, this paper highlights two key factors: the rapidness of this paradigm shift and the remarkable contradiction between the new and old paradigms. By borrowing the Deleuzo-Guattarian concept of a ‘body without organs’ (BwO), this paper problematises the rapidness and radicality of the paradigm shift in Iran. It suggests exploring the under-investigated possibilities between the pre-modern and modern paradigms to address the gap between native circumstances and Western standards.
Tattoo taboo : a reader
(2020)
In different parts of the world, tattoos historically have been expression of the socio-cultural identity of individuals or communities: Tattoos are firmly integrated into social practices as elements of initiation or marriage, in other parts of the world, however, tattoos carry negative associations being linked to immorality, and crime.
To research the practice of and places associated with tattooing a research-based study project was designed to address the practice of tattooing from the point of view of its cultural heritage values, both intangible and tangible. In the winter semester 2018/2019 this study project was offered jointly by the Chair of Architectural Conservation and the Department of Heritage Management at the Brandenburg University of Technology (BTU) Cottbus-Senftenberg. Twelve international students from the study programmes World Heritage Studies and Architecture participated in this study project, which included a field trip to London and Oxford and several interviews and interactions with researchers and academics from the fields of tattoo history, anthropology, medical sciences and museography.
A collection of students’ essays on this topic is presented in this reader with a particular focus on the tangible and intangible aspects of tattooing, and the spatial history of tattooing based on two distinct areas in London as a case study.
The papers are divided into three distinctive themes that are linked to the practice of tattooing. Section one is dedicated to tattoos as a form of heritage, the one to tattooing as a form of art, and the last one to mapping as a methodological tool to visualise, assess and present relationships between heritage, tattooing practice and its connection to the social fabric in London at the turn of the penultimate century.