Publicomos

Réf.

42682

Type

article

Titre

A viewpoint on the reconstruction of destroyed UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Sites

Langues

English

Auteurs

Khalaf, Roha W.

Maison d'édition

Taylor & Francis

Date

26/12/2016

Pages

p. 261-274

Titre de la revue

International Journal of Heritage Studies

Vol. & n°

v. 23 n. 3

Mots-clés

World Heritage / authenticity / outstanding universal value / architecture / doctrine / conservation of historic monuments / conservation of architecture / conservation of historic sites / World Heritage in Danger / operational guidelines / intangible heritage / compatibility / continuity / integrity / reconstruction

Résumé en anglais

The destruction of UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Sites (WHS) in conflict zones is devastating and continues to spark heated debate on reconstruction. Craft skills and construction materials can reinstate lost physical fabric. Communities who identify with WHS can ascribe meanings and values to the new fabric, thereby reclaiming their heritage. However, it is difficult to retrieve Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), including authenticity and integrity after irreversible damage has been done. ‘If a World Heritage property is destroyed and later reconstructed, could it still be recognized as World Heritage?’ is a critical question, open to debate. It was raised during a colloquium on ‘Post-Trauma Reconstruction’ held at ICOMOS Headquarters in March 2016. A participant commented that ‘it is not possible to punish the State Party if a disaster or a war occurred’, but ‘there was no further exchange on this aspect’. In this paper, I argue that the Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention may need to shift the spotlight from ‘exceptional circumstances’ to the contemporaneity of heritage. An oxymoron, perhaps, but it may sustain the culture of World Heritage inscription in conflict and post-conflict zones. A new category, in concert with three qualifying conditions, is proposed.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1080/13527258.2016.1269239

Document joint

Accepted Manuscript of A viewpoint on the reconstruction of destroyed UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Sites.pdf

Licence

Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial (BY-NC)