The Role of Conservation in the Production of Urban Space in Acre, Israel

A significant shift in conservation practices in Acre, Israel, has been identified, marking the first instance where a residential quarter was restored with a focus on its social narrative rather than its archaeological significance. This change, initiated by the Israel Land Administration in 2003, involved the rehabilitation of a flagship building to its bourgeois Ottoman phase, previously neglected by Israeli government agencies. The study highlights the convergence of three narratives—monumental, social, and global—in shaping Acre's urban space, with conservation playing a pivotal role in this competition. The research approach involved a pilot project that evacuated, renovated, and repopulated the building with its former Palestinian residents, providing a lens to examine these competing narratives.

Naaman, Y. F., Nitzan-Shiftan, A., & Kallus, R. (2018). The Role of Conservation in the Production of Urban Space in Acre, Israel. Journal of Eastern Mediterranean Archaeology and Heritage Studies, 6(4), 311–329. https://doi.org/10.5325/jeasmedarcherstu.6.4.0311