Research an example of cultural heritage preservation. Compose a reflection summarizing your findings (250 words). Â
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Cultural heritage preservation is the deliberate act of keeping cultural heritage from the present for the future. There are many examples of cultural heritage throughout the world. especially those in countries that can trace back its roots for thousands of years. A great example would be the struggle to save the Abu Simbel temples. Two massive rock temples in Abu Simbel, a small village in Nubia, southern Egypt. Upon the construction of the Aswan High dam, the Nile river would then create a huge reservoir of water that would rise higher than the two monumental temples. In 1959 an international donations campaign to save the monuments of Nubia began.
One scheme to save the temples was based on an idea by William MacQuitty to build a clear fresh water dam around the temples, with the water inside kept at the same height as the Nile. There were to be underwater viewing chambers. In 1962 the idea was made into a proposal by architects Jane Drew and Maxwell Fry and civil engineer Ove Arup.[3] They considered that raising the temples ignored the effect of erosion of the sandstone by desert winds. However the proposal, though acknowledged to be extremely elegant, was rejected.
The salvage of the Abu Simbel temples began in 1964 by a multinational team of archeologists, engineers and skilled heavy equipment operators working together under UNESCO. It cost about $40 million at the time. Between 1964 and 1968, the entire site was carefully cut into large blocks, lifted and reassembled in a new location 65 meters higher and 200 meters back from the river, in one of the greatest challenges of archaeological engineering in history. The complex is nowpart of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the “Nubian Monuments”.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fb/Abusimbel.jpg/220px-Abusimbel.jpg
So the gist of the story is that countries with such an expanse of history, is important everyone. Its history is considered a record of human history. UNESCO is an attempt at preserving this history to better understand the progression of humanity. This is why so much thought and care is taken into these sites…
South Korea has a cultural heritage preservation multi-level program aiming to preserve and cultivate Korean cultural heritage. The program is run by the CHA or the Cultural Heritage Administration, and the legal framework is provided by the Cultural Heritage Protection Act which was founded in 1962. The program started in 1962 and has gradually been extended and upgraded since then. The CHA classifies cultural heritage into five major categories (state-designated heritage, city and province-designated heritage, cultural heritage material, registered cultural heritage, undesignated cultural heritage) and these are divided further into subcategories. Besides tangible cultural heritage, South Korea aims to preserve its cultural heritage as well, including, but not limited to, folk customs, music, dance and handicraft. The program also includes “living national treasures” – people who possess the knowledge and skills important to pass down intangible cultural heritage to new generations. South Korea has founded several educational centers throughout the country and established a university, specifically dedicated to heritage preservation. As of 2013, the country has nine cultural and one natural Wold Heritage Sites, with 15 added to the provisional list; and there are 16 items registered as UNESCO intangible cultural heritage. Although the program is considered successful by both the public and experts, there are unresolved issues regarding the system and particularly the selection method of “living national treasure” holders.
So the gist of the story is that countries with such an expanse of history, is important everyone. Its history is considered a record of human history. UNESCO is an attempt at preserving this history to better understand the progression of humanity. This is why so much thought and care is taken into these sites…
Jean Reginald Saintange
Prof. Inna Guzenfield
Arch 3640
Fall 2014
Week 11
After reading an excerpt on the preserving intangible cultural heritage of Nepal, I examined some of the basic traditional knowledge system which contains many positives and productive elements that are really invaluable for the entire culture. Despite Nepal’s Significant role to integrate the society and enhance sense of ownership to the concerned People and culture, its intangible heritage faces serious threats for its existence. In some parts of the world fast pace of modernization has been taking toll on it. The danger also comes from the rapid process of globalization, and pervading influence of western Culture. There is even more critical situation facing intangible culture the intense pressure of adopting the cultural framework of ruling class elite from within ( like some other cultures I know) but I digress; Nepal has remained a land of diverse people and culture consisting of more than hundred ethnic and cast groups. Having a diverse community has both a positive and negative effect. The positive being, their interest in learning the culture of Nepal and what it encompasses. The negative, they’re also bringing in their own cultural heritage and at some point the original will get lost with the new if it is not preserved or shining the brightest.
Cultural heritage preservation is preserving todays culture for the future generation just like past generations have done for us. Cultural heritage preservation is important in every culture because everyone likes to know their roots. We all share different languages, food, music, dance, clothing, art, etc… The preservation to these are important not only for us whom come form a certain culture, but to share and educate others.
A cultural heritage preservation I found interesting was Farsi. A dying language in my community. I found this to be interesting because surprisingly very few people can speak Farsi and even fewer people can read it. Yet people from around the world are willing to pay thousands of dollars for rugs with Farsi writing on it or a piece of art with Farsi writing. In America students are required to take a language in class. In my country all students are required to take Farsi. It is a way the present generation is persevering Farsi for the future generation. Also educational institute teach their students value of art that uses Farsi. If they don’t it will be a language lost. For example Farsi is not my native language so I cannot speak it, but my father can. He can read it as well. Form personal experience I understand the value of Cultural heritage preservation. It is an act we all must pre from. If not it would be a great tragedy for all mankind.
Ye Hwee
Prof. Guzenfeld
ARCH 3640
Fall 2014
Cultural heritage preservation in a general term is trying to preserve how we used to live and socialize as a community, state or country in the past as our ancestor once did. I think it is very important to remember where we came from especially in U.S. Most of us who are in this class were not born in the U.S. We all have different cultures we grew up with and my parents always remind me that it important to remember your culture since it is a big part of who I am today.
I read an article about cultural heritage preservation movement in Poland by Zbigniew Kobylinski. Poland is located in the center of Europe and it has seen its fair share of wars and economic trades. In his article, he states that Poland is in a desperate need of cultural preservation. One of the reasons is because Poland obtained the democracy status back in the 1989 after the collapse of communism. For about 50 years under communism, people decisions were made for them. When they finally obtained democracy status, people were more focused on political and economic growth and the attitude toward preservation have declined. They saw the preservation as “the protection of the historic monuments is a barrier to the economic development”.
He also said that in order to change the attitude toward cultural heritage preservation, we need to better educate the public. I think it is a very good foundation to start changing people perspective on what is important to the individual and the community.
Redon Rexha
Heritage In Toronto, Canada
Toronto is a city that is known for its cosmopolitan nature and its deep rooted artistic culture. It is home to the Toronto Opera House, innumerable other vocal artist studios, painting galleries, dance studios and even a plethora of restaurants. The Heritage Preservation Services (HPS) are responsible for the preservation of buildings that are important to Torontonian and Canadian heritage. It is part of the city’s planning division and is responsible for the preservation of over 8,000 different properties. This organization is even empowered by the Ontario Heritage Act enough that it is able to designate entire areas as being Heritage Conservation Districts. In an effort to be more amenable to the property owner affected by HPS decisions, Heritage Easement Agreements are made between property owners and the city. These contracts identify parts of a building that are to be retained undamaged regardless of the owner’s improvements or alterations to the property. In addition the laws that designate that a certain building need be conserved do not affect the title of the property. The owners are free to sell the property according to their wishes regardless of the status of their building. The city does provide grants for the owners of these historic properties that can pay for up to half the upkeep of said property. In addition to this, the owners are also eligible for a for tax benefits that can provide up to 40% relief from municipal taxes. These funds are set up to mitigate the negative and authoritarian impact of having property that the Heritage Preservation Services is interested in.
Edgar Guaman
Historic Preservation: Practice and Theory
Prof. Guzenfield
Fall 2014
One of the sites that I decided to learn a little about was the Historic Centre of Santa Ana De Los Rios De Cuenca. The cultural heritage in this site is very concentrated on its architecture and traditions. As well as its language and religion heritage roots. Located in the city of Cuenca in Ecuador which was named by the king Charles V Cuenca of Spain it has cultural heritage roots extending back to 400 years ago. The city still observes the orthogonal town plan that it has originally been place when it was first settles around 1557. Although much of the city has been modernized due to the economic boom it experiences around the 19th century due to its exports in quinine and straw hats and other products it still observes its original roots from the architecture and the city planning it had first been done to the city when settled. UNESCO protects that of the city’s infrastructure in order to show how Spanish settlement influenced and influences much of South America today and for many more generations to come. I remember visiting the center when I myself went to visit Cuenca when I was much younger and noticed how different it was compared to the other cities I had been to here in the United States. Shows how much influence really took place when it came to where certain European countries decided to settle in certain parts of the New World that is now the Americas. Language and music and text and tradition still roam and boom in this city and in much of the continents countries today. Although modernization does try to threaten in changing and “upgrading” much of the old infrastructure of the city the culture and traditions still remain the same.
Cultural Heritage preservation is an act of safeguarding the ancestral interests, norms,customs and traditions pertaining to the particular group or society. These cultural traditions can be tangible meaning they range from buildings, monuments artifacts etc. The intangible interests of culture are the rituals that prolong and are performed till today if preserved the right way, they are basically the distinguishing factors of different cultures in a community. For instance New York City is a city of diversified cultures which coexist in peace and harmony. The preservation committees both state and local take the responsibility of safeguarding the religious and social interests of each and every community present in the city. In order to have a balanced equilibrium when the great tsunami earthquake strike japan in 2011 the number of lives lost were above 15,000 along with it many households and old heritage and monumental buildings were destroyed and damaged completely, like there was no hope for revivalism for those suffered the loses and damages of their homes and properties until today. Although it was the tough times for them they still managed to get their civic and cultural monumental buildings restored back to their original form. This was an important act for them because these buildings signify and unite the Japanese culture and tradition, their re-erection and restoration after the destruction by earthquake was a strong act of help from the local and foreign Japanese organizations businesses and other sources of aid whatever was available to have their cultural heritage maintained and sustained. Thus exemplifies the unification and strong bonding of Japanese people to safeguard their interests and their unity in tough times to the world.