Conservation and building practice in a world heritage city : the case of Sana'a, Yemen

Abstract

The unique architecture of Sana'a, Yemen has been the focus of international conservation efforts, which have stimulated local interest and contributed to the formation of a local discourse. Because conservation followed so quickly on the heels of modernization, Sana'a provides an opportunity to study the interplay of these two global ideologies in the context of a strong local tradition of building. The "international" theory and practice of conservation developed in a specific cultural and intellectual context, that of modern Europe: it is based on the idea of an historic past that is radically different from the modern present. The artifacts of this past are frozen in time, relics of a past that has now been superseded. But the increasing museification of the built environment is untenable, and also incompatible with current notions of sustainability. Conservation in Sana'a and other cities in Yemen is unusual because the "historic past" is not so far in the past; in many cases, it is still part of the present. This provides not only an interesting case study, but an opportunity to reassess certain assumptions of international practice that are based on the idea of rupture between past and present, for example, the notions of historical value and authenticity.

(cont.) In contrast to other studies of conservation, this dissertation does not focus on heritage as a project imposed by international agencies or by the state bureaucracy. Rather, it treats heritage as a discourse that is shaped on the ground by various actors, many of whom see themselves as representing the historic past. A unique approach has developed in Sana'a at the intersection of international and local practice, and it is this intersection that is the subject of the present work. The first chapter establishes the wider context of the project "site": it discusses the development of conservation theory and practice in Europe, with special attention to the idea of the historic city. Chapters two and three provide historical background on the development of the city of Sana'a and the UNESCO international safeguarding campaign of the 1980's. Chapters four and five take an ethnographic approach: they look at ways in which international practice has been understood and applied in the local context, by architects, builders, and residents. Chapter six traces the evolution of local discourse and practice through a series of projects, conducted with foreign assistance and by local organizations. The concluding chapter discusses the synthesis of international and local ideas and practices in Sana'a, and proposes policy directions based on this synthesis.