المستخلص: |
This essay was written for a festschrift in honor of Prof. Saleh Lamei Mostafa. It treats three main themes, which have been part of Dr. Mostafa’s distinguished career. First, we should emphasize the importance of conserving our cultural heritage, not because some of it may attract tourists and bring revenues, but because it is part of our identity and the legacy of our ancestors. That legacy includes more than just physical monuments; it also includes the unique “sense of place” that historic cities possess, which delights residents and visitors alike. The second theme is to properly appreciate the economic value of cultural assets by adding their intangible contributions, and there are many powerful techniques to do so. This should lead to better ways of mobilizing capital for the maintenance of cultural heritage, especially in historic cities. The third theme is a discussion of different approaches to restoring valuable old monuments that are the key definers of many of the old urban landscapes. Here we review three philosophies for such works of restoration, giving examples of each. This section also includes a discussion of adaptive reuse. The essay then concludes with a review of one of Dr. Mostafa’s awardwinning works, namely the Great Omari Mosque in Lebanon.
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