Selective Re-creation of Remembrances: The Case of Sheikh Safi al-Din Khānegāh and Shrine Ensemble in Ardabil, Iran

OpenAlex İngilizce

This is an inquiryinto the functionalisation of a historical monument in the World Heritage List,on defining a social and cultural identity through a process of selectivere-creation of remembrances, that is constituted by a common sense of longingfor the idealized past. The Case of Sheikh Safi al-Din Khānegāh and ShrineEnsemble in Ardabil, Iran includes a core zone that is subject to the historicpreservation processes under the guidance of ICOMOS; and a buffer zone that isleft for renovation to achieve a complete sense of a historical old town with agreat contribution of new buildings and spaces that look historic without beinghistorical. It is argued that there is the lack of a guarantee provided by theinternational world heritage organizations for securing and sustaining thesense of place of the local communities that is challenged by a number ofpurposes including the touristic function of the World Heritage property. Forthe case of this study it is revealed that either for the touristic function orfor some other purpose, not all the urban communities of the past are equallyemphasized and protected in the current realm. Based on the literature reviewon the concepts of cultural heritage, authenticity, sense of place and theircontribution to the act of place making, this study reveals the ongoing processof displacement of an unwanted past for creating an urban historicity.