A Holistic Approach to Vernacular Heritage Conservation

Conservation of vernacular heritage, such as the Old Walled City of Shibam, requires a holistic approach that integrates tangible and intangible elements, including community values, beliefs, and development needs. This study highlights that understanding built heritage must extend beyond physical attributes to include cultural landscapes, historic urban contexts, and people-centered perspectives. By examining examples from Muslim-majority communities in Siwa (Egypt) and Shibam (Yemen), as well as transhumance settlements like Hawraman (Iran) and Khinalig (Azerbaijan), the research underscores the importance of bridging gaps between cultural and natural heritage, movable and immovable heritage, and tangible and intangible heritage. The findings recommend adopting frameworks such as cultural landscapes, historic urban landscapes, and people-centered conservation to guide future heritage preservation efforts.

Mahdy, H. (2025). A Holistic Approach to Vernacular Heritage Conservation. HERITAGE2025 International Conference on Earthen & Vernacular Heritage Conservation, Adaptive Reuse & Urban Regeneration. https://doi.org/10.4995/heritage2025.2025.19843