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Residents of the Cities in the Levant

Ancient City of Damascus — 2025 — WHECE0F3ACE22

The Umayyad era marked a significant transformation in the Levant, where urbanization replaced nomadic lifestyles and laid the foundation for civilization. This study reveals that the prosperity of Levantine cities was driven by economic and commercial factors, including inland and coastal trade, abundant agricultural resources, and strategic military development. The Umayyads introduced Islamic urban elements such as mosques, governor's houses, and fortified walls, while also establishing new cities like Ramla and Rusafa for both military necessity and economic benefit. The research highlights how Arab Muslims adapted existing urban structures, integrating financial institutions and tribal foundations into their city planning. This period saw the emergence of advanced human activities in political, economic, and social fields, contributing to the development of civil society institutions. The study underscores the Umayyad conquests as a pivotal factor in the evolution of urban life in the Levant.

Residents’ Sense of the Place in the Central Part of Kaunas City in Relation to Tangible Cultural Heritage

Modernist Kaunas: Architecture of Optimism, 1919-1939 — 2025 — WHE5015FEF102

Residents of Kaunas, Lithuania, exhibit a strong sense of place tied to tangible cultural heritage, particularly modernist architecture, which significantly influences their urban identity and attachment. This study reveals that demographic and sociocultural factors—such as age, education, and occupation—play a pivotal role in how residents perceive and value heritage, shaping their preferences for preservation. By analyzing survey data and public contributions to the Cultural Heritage Inventory, researchers identified key heritage objects prioritized by locals, offering actionable insights for urban planners and conservationists. The findings underscore the necessity for heritage policies that balance modernization with cultural retention, ensuring Kaunas's unique character is preserved while addressing broader challenges faced by cities with similar historical legacies.

Resilience of the Parse-Pasargadae World Heritage Sites Against Environmental Crises Using Achaemenid Creativity and Traditional Knowledge

Pasargadae — 2025 — WHE99483448DD

A study on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Pasargadae reveals that traditional Achaemenid engineering and knowledge can serve as a model for resilience against modern environmental crises. The research highlights how the Achaemenids designed integrated water systems to manage droughts and seasonal flash floods, while also employing seismic-resistant architectural techniques such as multi-layered stone foundations and large stone blocks to enhance structural stability. Through field investigations and historical document analysis, the study demonstrates that reapplying this ancient technical knowledge can restore human coexistence with natural hazards and protect heritage authenticity. The findings underscore the potential for traditional engineering solutions to address contemporary environmental challenges in semi-arid regions.

Resilience Strategies during the Climate Crisis: Reading the “Book of Nature” with Kauma Traditionalism Religion

Sacred Mijikenda Kaya Forests — 2025 — WHE8ADA9CE563

Indigenous Kauma traditionalism offers a resilient framework for climate adaptation through its sacred relationship with nature, known as the 'Book of Nature.' This study reveals that Kauma cosmology, rooted in African eco-spirituality, provides sustainable environmental stewardship practices that have historically mitigated climate impacts like famine and flooding. By analyzing oral traditions, proverbs, and songs, researchers reconstruct ecological insights embedded in indigenous spirituality, advocating for their reintegration into modern climate solutions. The findings highlight the potential of indigenous knowledge systems to enhance both theological and ecological scholarship, emphasizing the need to balance 'Two Books'—nature and scripture—for holistic resilience strategies.

Resilience to wad? Exploring different perceptions of resilience and coastal protection measures among key stakeholders at the German Wadden Sea

Wadden Sea — 2025 — WHE6DA7A37CEC

Stakeholders along the German Wadden Sea, a UNESCO World Heritage site, overwhelmingly favor conventional hard engineering solutions for coastal protection due to entrenched path dependencies and strong place attachment. However, where these factors are weaker, there is an emerging shift toward more innovative coastal management approaches that align with tidal flats ecosystems. The study introduces the 'Coastal Resilience Bloom,' a conceptual framework linking perceptions of resilience to practical coastal management strategies. It highlights the need for policy agendas to embrace social-ecological interdependence to foster a shared, stakeholder-driven vision of climate-resilient coastal landscapes. This research advances understanding by demonstrating how path dependencies and institutional priorities shape the acceptance of new approaches, while also identifying place-specific conditions that facilitate resilience shifts.

Resilience Value and Recovery: The Symbiotic Relationship between Classical Gardens of Suzhou and the Historic Urban Water System

Classical Gardens of Suzhou — 2025 — WHEFCD0DA8B3D

A symbiotic relationship between the Classical Gardens of Suzhou (CGS) and the historic urban water system (HUWS) demonstrates significant resilience value, offering a model for enhancing flood and ecological resilience in ancient cities. This relationship, developed over centuries, provides critical insights for urban planners, ecologists, and cultural heritage agencies facing pressures from climate change and rapid urbanization. The study reviews scholarship, field visits, and interviews to analyze this resilience value and summarizes efforts since the 1950s that have revived the symbiotic relationship. It proposes strategies to further leverage this embedded resilience to improve the sustainability of both the gardens and the city of Suzhou.

Resiliencia y cultura del riesgo mediante talleres participativos

Las Médulas — 2025 — WHE2EBEB0EBF3

A strong sense of community identity in Las Médulas, Spain, significantly enhances both vulnerability to disasters and willingness to engage in prevention and recovery efforts. This was revealed through participatory workshops following the 2025 wildfire, which also highlighted emotional responses such as loss and institutional distrust that shape collective resilience. The study identifies citizen-led proposals—like protective plantings and evacuation routes—as key to fostering a local risk culture, while noting governance challenges due to overlapping responsibilities. Effective prevention strategies must integrate social participation, local knowledge, and clear institutional coordination to build collaborative, multi-level resilience.

Resiliency of Cultural Heritage Buildings: Lessons Learned from Old City of Ghadames

Old Town of Ghadamès — 2025 — WHE1A9351B173

Cultural heritage buildings demonstrate resilience through social use, adapting to modernity and social change while mitigating risks such as environmental threats and neglect. The Old City of Ghadamès serves as a case study, illustrating how communal gatherings and religious ceremonies contribute to the preservation and adaptability of historic spaces. This research highlights the critical role of community engagement in sustaining cultural heritage, offering valuable insights for conservation strategies in evolving urban landscapes.

Résistance et Dévotion. Anciens sanctuaires ibadites de Djerba

Djerba: Testimony to a settlement pattern in an island territory — 2025 — WHEB728F89006

A meticulous historical and architectural study of 48 Ibadite mosques on the island of Djerba reveals the resilience and enduring devotion of a distinct Islamic sect, preserving their legacy through time. Virginie Prevost's work, enriched by Axel Derriks' photography since 2009, documents these ancient sanctuaries to safeguard their memory. The research combines thorough documentation with architectural analysis, offering insights into the Ibadite settlement pattern and their cultural significance in an island territory.

ResNet50V2 for Global Landmark Categorization: A Deep Transfer Learning and Residual Mapping Approach

Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu — 2025 — WHECA6F630BF7

A deep learning model, ResNet50V2, demonstrates high accuracy in classifying 12 globally significant landmarks, including the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu. This advancement leverages transfer learning and residual mapping to handle complex variations in form, history, and location, addressing challenges posed by diverse cultural heritage sites. The model's ability to generalize and extract relevant features supports applications in tourism marketing, heritage conservation, digital preservation, and educational resources. By automating landmark recognition, the approach promotes sustainable management of cultural heritage and enhances global learning initiatives.

Résonances historiques et politiques dans L’Année de Bacchus d’El Mostafa Bouignane: vers une écriture de la résilience

Archaeological Site of Volubilis — 2025 — WHE8F6B7BD2FD

El Mostafa Bouignane's novel L’Année de Bacchus explores the theft of the statue of Bacchus from the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Volubilis, Morocco, to examine historical and political violence. Through alternating historical facts and existential narratives, the author illustrates how authoritarianism and trauma shape individual and collective memory, with the human body serving as a 'parchment-min' of history. The novel suggests that writing can transform resentment into resilience, offering a path toward reconciliation. Bouignane's engaged literary approach, characterized by simplicity inspired by impressionism, bridges novelistic and historical narratives while denouncing societal ills through art.

Response Actions to the COVID-19 Pandemic in a World Heritage Site: A Case Study of the Old Town of Lijiang, China

Old Town of Lijiang — 2025 — WHE67D8878A06

The Old Town of Lijiang (OToL) successfully mitigated the economic and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic through adaptive response strategies. These included coordinated government management, stringent prevention measures, technological integration, community engagement, and public education campaigns. Unlike other heritage sites that suffered severe tourism revenue losses, OToL maintained stability by balancing crisis response with sustainable tourism recovery. The study highlights a model for resilience in World Heritage Sites, offering lessons for future crises and post-pandemic development. It underscores the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration—government officials, local residents, and business owners—in navigating global disruptions while preserving cultural integrity.

Responses of soil labile organic carbon stocks and the carbon pool management index to different vegetation restoration types in the Danxia landform region of southwest China

China Danxia — 2025 — WHE610D4D0833

Vegetation restoration significantly enhances soil organic carbon (SOC) and its labile fractions, with bamboo forest (BF) and evergreen broad-leaved forest (EBF) showing the highest carbon sequestration potential in the Danxia landform region of southwest China. These vegetation types exhibited higher total SOC stocks (92.75 t ha⁻¹ for BF and 60.13 t ha⁻¹ for EBF) compared to other restoration types, along with elevated dissolved organic carbon (DOC), microbial biomass organic carbon (MBC), and easily oxidizable organic carbon (EOC). The study also found that the carbon pool management index (CPMI) increased by 49.7% in BF and 32.9% in EBF compared to shrub (SH), indicating superior carbon storage efficiency. SOC and its fractions were closely linked to soil physicochemical properties, with total nitrogen, phosphorus, and moisture playing a crucial role. These findings underscore the importance of selecting appropriate vegetation types for ecological restoration to maximize carbon sequestration and improve soil quality.

Restoration implications of the germination ecology of six dry-forest woody Fabaceae species in Mexico

Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley: originary habitat of Mesoamerica — 2025 — WHE73922793D0

Seed germination responses to temperature and light vary significantly among six dry-forest woody Fabaceae species, offering critical insights for ecological restoration and climate change adaptation. The study found that mechanical scarification substantially increases germination rates, while higher temperatures generally accelerate germination in dark conditions, though responses in germination synchrony differ among species. These findings highlight the importance of understanding not just germination percentage and time but also synchrony to guide effective management actions. The research involved a multifactorial experiment with five temperature ranges (10–40 °C), two light regimes, and scarification conditions for species such as Mimosa luisana and Vachellia constricta, which are ecologically, culturally, or economically significant in the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley, Mexico. The study underscores potential threats to natural recruitment due to warmer, drier conditions and deforestation, emphasizing the need for targeted restoration strategies.

Results of Preparatory Surveys on the Tagant Escarpment, Mauritania

Ancient Ksour of Ouadane, Chinguetti, Tichitt and Oualata — 2025 — WHE6C90B76614

A recent survey of the Tagant escarpment in southeastern Mauritania reveals a rich archaeological landscape with numerous stone-built settlements and funerary sites, many yet to be documented. The findings suggest continuity with the nearby Tichitt complex from the Ceramic Late Stone Age, though the region remains understudied despite earlier remote sensing efforts. This preparatory work lays critical groundwork for future research, addressing long-standing gaps in our understanding of this UNESCO-listed area's cultural significance.

Retrospective review of architectural practices and theories in the context of the concept of flexibility in architecture

The 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright — 2025 — WHED571A181DB

Flexibility has been a fundamental principle of architectural practice from ancient times to the present, deeply intertwined with technological advancements and societal needs. This retrospective study reveals a cause-and-effect relationship between construction innovations—such as the shift from bronze/iron tools enabling prefabricated structures like yurts—to the evolution of flexibility in architecture. In urban planning, grid systems allowed modular replacements without systemic disruption, while traditional Japanese housing used tatami dimensions for adaptable proportions. The 20th century saw a revolution with steel and reinforced concrete, championed by modernist architects like Frank Lloyd Wright, who prioritized open plans and technological integration. Today, flexibility addresses sustainability, climate change, and dynamic work patterns, underscoring its role in creating resilient built environments.

Revaluating CUNA Places (CUltural Place of High Relevance for NAture): Rome as a Multifaced Example of Outstanding Values and Potentials

Historic Centre of Rome, the Properties of the Holy See in that City Enjoying Extraterritorial Rights and San Paolo Fuori le Mura — 2025 — WHE26FED711F3

Rome, with its rich historical heritage and outstanding natural values, exemplifies the concept of CUNA places—cultural places of high relevance for nature. This study introduces a methodological framework to identify and typify such places based on their values, attributes, and significance, proposing 16 categories that encompass both tangible and intangible heritage. The research builds upon UNESCO's 'mixed properties' definition, offering a tool to enhance heritage valorization, strengthen territorial identity, promote sustainable development, and generate income for conservation efforts. A preliminary application in Rome demonstrates the multifaceted aspects of CUNA places, highlighting their potential for broader implementation.

Revealing the Origins: An Interdisciplinary Study Into the Provenance of Sacral Microarchitecture–The Unique Case of the Church Model From Žatec in Bohemia

Žatec and the Landscape of Saaz Hops — 2025 — WHEC6B2710036

A rare stone model of a Romanesque church from 12th-century Žatec, Bohemia, offers unprecedented insights into the evolution of votive offerings and the intersection of artistic, architectural, and religious traditions. This unique microarchitecture, depicting a single-nave church with a semicircular apse, is one of the few surviving examples from early medieval Europe north of the Alps. The study employs X-ray powder diffraction to analyze its material provenance, while iconographic parallels—particularly with the obverse of Svatopluk's denarius (1107–1109)—suggest strong ties to contemporary visual and political culture. This artifact bridges symbolic representation and architectural practice, providing a tangible link between late antique, Byzantine, and early medieval traditions.

Review of Sacred Groves in Major Countries: Problems and Prospects

Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove — 2025 — WHEC977412CC2

Sacred groves, ancient forest refuges protected by cultural and spiritual taboos, serve as critical biodiversity hotspots globally. A recent review highlights their ecological and cultural significance across five major countries—Mexico, China, Japan, Nigeria, and India—while addressing pressing threats such as urbanization, exploitation, and climate change. The study synthesizes secondary sources from 2020 to 2025, revealing that these groves, such as Nigeria's Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove, act as vital refugia for endangered species and heritage preservation. It identifies opportunities for hybrid indigenous-scientific management and policy integration with frameworks like the IUCN's criteria for sacred natural areas, advocating for community-led ecotourism to align sacred groves with sustainable development goals. This approach could protect a substantial portion of global biodiversity hotspots under traditional stewardship, offering a resilient model for conservation in the Anthropocene.

Review of The Cockroaches, Mantids and Phasmids from Niah National Park, Sarawak (Insecta: Blattodea, Mantodea, & Phasmida)

The Archaeological Heritage of Niah National Park’s Caves Complex — 2025 — WHE475288106D

A comprehensive review of cockroaches, mantids, and phasmids from Niah National Park’s caves complex reveals 51 species, significantly expanding the known biodiversity of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Previous records were sparse, with only two cockroach species, 25 phasmids, and no mantids documented. A survey in June 2024 identified 25 phasmids, 25 cockroaches, and 11 mantids, including three cockroach species exclusive to the Great Cave. The study also confirmed Pseudophoraspis emarginata as a synonym of Rhicnoda natatrix and provided new distribution data for two phasmid species. This research highlights the rich but understudied insect diversity within Niah’s caves, offering insights into its ecological significance.