ARCHITECTURAL CONSERVATION ASSIGNMENT

Muhammed Shafah – AYASEBC029

What is Heritage?

Heritage is the full range of our inherited traditions, monuments, objects, and culture. Most important, it is the
range of contemporary activities, meanings, and
behaviors that we draw from them.
• It can be natural, cultural, tangible, intangible, or movable heritage.
• Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live with today, and what we pass on to future generations.
• Our cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration.
• Cultural heritage includes tangible culture (such as buildings, monuments, landscapes, books, works of art, and
artifacts), intangible culture (such as folklore, traditions, language, and knowledge), and natural heritage (including
culturally significant landscapes, and biodiversity).
Why do we need to conserve heritage?

Conservation of Heritage sites in India is important because:

• Conservation of heritage sites and buildings provides a sense of identity and continuity in a fast-changing world.
• Heritage sites and buildings represent the past history and culture of a nation
• It is important to support the tourism industry.
• A heritage site is a place that preserves the cultural, social and political history of a place.

As per UNESCO rankings, India is ranked 5th globally in the list of countries having the maximum number of World
Heritage Sites.
Heritage Sites Protection – Indian Law

The heritage sites in India are protected by the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act
1958, which was amended in 2010. As per this law it protects the following:
• Heritage sites
• Monuments
• Archaeological sites
• Sculptures

The Protection of Heritage sites in India is undertaken by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) working under
the Ministry of Culture.
Heritage Sites – Reasons behind deterioration

There are various reasons behind the deterioration of Heritage sites. The 2 main factors for deterioration are
Natural Causes and Anthropogenic Causes.

Natural Causes: Anthropogenic Causes:

• Air Pollution • Fire – It could be due to an electric short circuit,
• Changing Temperature improper burning of material
• Floods • Urbanization
• Biological factors like Fungus, Moss, etc. • Vandalism
• Ground water, salts and minerals
• Solar Radiation
Heritage Conservation – Problems Faced by India

As per some reports there are multiple reasons behind the problems faced by India in conservation of its heritage
sites. Some of these reasons are listed below:
• Lacking skilled and adequate manpower to carry out the conservation activities.
• Lack of importance given to pre-disaster management of heritage sites.
• Conservation requires Engineers expertise from inter-disciplinary perspectives.
• Private sector is involved only in aesthetic maintenance, important issues are unaddressed due to unavailability
of skilled resources.
• Lack of Modern and traditional engineering methods
Conclusion

• Conservation of heritage buildings is very important because it provides a sense of identity and continuity in a
fast changing world for future generations. Heritage buildings basically represent the past history and culture of a
nation. They constitute together the architectural heritage of an area.
• As a source of identity, heritage is a valuable factor for empowering local communities and enabling vulnerable
groups to participate fully in social and cultural life. It can also provide time-tested solutions for conflict prevention
and reconciliation.
• Through a complete set of Conventions concerning heritage, UNESCO offer a unique platform for international
cooperation and dialogue, fostering mutual respect, appreciation and understanding. These legal instruments
support the development of national policies for heritage protection, with an emphasis on preservation,
management and training.