Heritage activists square off against former Georgian prime minister over hotel development in Tbilisi

A well-connected developer gets approval to build a fancy new shopping or hotel complex in an historically significant neighbourhood, prompting an angry response from heritage activists.

While this scenario will be familiar to anyone following recent news in Liverpool and Edinburgh, a more unlikely front in the battle between developers and conservationists has opened up in Tbilisi, capital of Georgia.

Approximately 400 activities reportedly gathered in Tbilisi's central square this weekend to demonstrate against the construction of a USD500 million hotel complex on the edge of the Old City. The development is being spearheaded by a company controlled by former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili.

Tbilisi Historic District (credit: Dmitry Gerasimov*)

While the authorities claim that the development will promote tourism in Tbilisi, heritage activists counter that the development is ecologically unsustainable and will alter the character of the area to such an extent that it will effectively sink Georgia's longstanding bid - dating from 2007 - to have the historic district of Tbilisi recognized as a world heritage site.

While only time will tell whether the coalition fighting the development is successful in its effort to stop it, the conflict is already taking on a political dimension with questions being raised by the main opposition party regarding the appointment of some of Mr. Ivanishvili's former cronies at Tbilisi City Hall, where they may now be in a conflict of interest with respect to the approval process for the planned development.

* https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=450747

Bureaucratic inertia stymies restoration work at Elephanta Caves in Mumbai Harbour

Elephanta Caves, a world heritage site on a small island in the Sea of Oman near Mumbai, boast an impressive archaeological legacy dating to the 2nd century BCE. Associated with the cult of Shiva, the caves feature rock carvings and sculptures.

While the prospect of electricity being brought to Elephanta Island prompted lots of publicity last year, money set aside for restoration work at the site in last year's budget has yet to translate into any concrete action.

Temple at Elephanta, 1907

  

While work at Elephanta Caves was supposed to include landscape restoration, installation of signage and interpretation centres, improved access for disabled people and improved visitors’ amenities, nothing has actually been done apart from a "project teport." In classic bureaucratic fashion, restoration work has reportedly been stymied by the fact that responsibility for the site overlaps between the Archaeological Survey of India and the Forest Department.

It is sad to think that red tape alone is enough to stop important restoration work, despite the required funds being available.

Two-tiered heritage protection in Australia strikes the wrong note

The Government of Western Australia has made itself look tin-eared at best and racist at worst in reportedly tabling draft legislation that would reinforce a two-tiered system of heritage protection in the state. In effect, the law - if enacted - would ensure that sites whose significance derives from their connection with Aboriginal tradition or culture are not subject to protection under the Heritage Act. Instead, the recognition and care of Aboriginal sites fall under another piece of legislation, the Aboriginal Heritage Act.

Wandjina Rock Art, The Kimberley, Western Australia

 

According to the WA Heritage Minister, the move is motivated simply by a desire to avoid unnecessary duplication of regulation. However, archaeologists and Aboriginal community leaders note that the two laws are not comparable and the protection available under the Aboriginal Heritage is considerably weaker than that which protects European sites.

Although perhaps well-intentioned, the result is a government which appears ready to perpetuate the notion that Aboriginal culture is somehow "second-class." Given the legacy of colonialism and exploitation of Aboriginal people in Australia, there must surely be a better way to cut back on red tape.

Indian Tourism Ministry enlists tech in its struggle against litterbugs and vandals

While heritage-related technology news has lately foccused on the use of imaging and remote sensing to preserve world heritage sites - if only virtually - that are threatened by the iconoclasts of so-called Islamic State and their ilk, India's Ministry of Tourism has enlisted technology in its longstanding fight against litterbugs.

The Times of India reported this week on the launch of a smart phone app that will allow users to take photos of graffiti, garbage and other "violations" and upload them to a "control room" manned by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), whose mandate include upkeep of monuments.

The app will initially focus on 25 monuments, including world heritage sites such as the Red Fort, Qutub Minar and Taj Mahal.

Hopefully the Ministry of Tourism will undertake an evaluation of the app's effectiveness. While I suspect the impact of "crowdsourcing" public services is often overrated, this app may just appeal to smart phone users who seem never to miss an opportunity to pull out their device.

Italy caps visitors to Cinque Terre in a victory for local residents

Designated a world heritage site in 1997, the stretch of coast between Cinque Terre and Portovenere in Italy's Liguria Region has some of the world's most picturesque villages and most striking landscape.

However, as reported on this blog last October, the region's beauty has proven something of a curse for the local population, as tourist numbers have skyrocketed following the establishment of a cruise ship terminal nearby.

Cinque Terre, Liguria (credit: Idéfix-commonswiki)

In a victory for those opposed to mass tourism in Cinque Terre, Italian authorities have announced this week that that they will limit visitors to the area through a ticketing system that will stop access to the area once a pre-defined maximum has been reached. In doing so, authorities hope to reduce the number of visitors from 2.5 million last year to 1.5 million in 2016.

I expect community groups adversely affected by mass tourism elsewhere will be watching this initiative this with interest.

Is a UNESCO world heritage site causing a "dead zone" in the Irish countryside?

The complicated interplay between the preservation and protection of cultural heritage on the one hand and the priorities of local communities on the other was brought to light this week in the Republic of Ireland. Fifty kilometres north of Dublin sits the largest and most important concentration of prehistoric megalithic art in Europe. Brú na Bóinne, or the Archaeological Ensemble of the Bend of the Boyne, which was inscribed as a world heritage site in 1993.

Brú na Bóinne (credit:Pasztilla at Hungarian Wikipedia)

Today, some local residents are complaining about what they consider to be a heavy-handed approach by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, resulting in a highly restrictive approach to the granting of new building permits. While talk of these restrictions leading to the creation of "dead zones" in the countryside sounds alarmist, the issue highlights the recurring challenge of securing - and sustaining - buy-in on the part of those living near a world heritage site.

Rock art at Brú na Bóinne (credit: Barbara and Eugenio)

Often framed as a problem that is particularly acute in poorer countries - where local populations may be marginalized or even forcibly displaced as a result of a heritage designation, the problem can arouse equally strong emotions in a rich world context, as we are seeing here.

The challenge, as always, is to chart a course whch takes into account the legitimate concerns of local populations whose goodwill can help significantly in managing and protecting a world heritage site, while ensuring that the broader public interest in preserving heritage for future generations is maintained.

Heritage preservation a (non-)priority in Penang

While the conservation of built heritage is much trumpeted by municipal authorities, practices often fall short of principles when the promise of a shiny new development is on offer.

The most recent case in point was the Runnymede Hotel in George Town, a historic city and world heritage site on Malaysia's Straits of Malacca. Built in 1921, the Runnymede is located near the site of Thomas Stamford Raffles' home, dating to the early 19th century. Parts of the building complex, notably the historic Raffles bungalow, were hurriedly razed during Chinese New Year last week to clear the way for a new mixed-used development on the site.

Stamford Raffles, founder of Singapore *

Notwithstanding the site's significance and proximity to the nearby George Town world heritage district, local authorities were quick to justify the demolition. For their part, heritage groups expressed dismay regarding the manner in which Penang Island City Council had acted, and in particular their failure to demonstrate the political will necessary to safeguard the area's heritage buildings.

Historic George Town (credit: Hajotthu)

 

As other jurisdictions with world heritage sites (e.g. Edinburgh) have discovered to their cost, a lax attitude to heritage protection can be enough to cause serious political headaches as one's world heritage designation comes into question.

* George Arents Collection, The New York Public Library. Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles. Retrieved from http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47de-60a5-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99

Angry bees attack tourists at Sun Temple in India's Orissa State

Fifteen tourists visiting the Sun Temple at Konârak, on the shores of the Bay of Bengal, suffered bee stings this week, after being swarmed by bees reportedly angered by monkeys' destruction of their beehive on the temple grounds.

Sun Temple, Konarak (credit: Ajaydubedi)

Authorities closed its ticket counters following the swarming, which was the second incident in as many days. Built in the 13th century CE, the temple is outstanding for its scale, architecture and art, and features a remarkable representation of the sun god Surya's chariot. The temple was inscribed as a world heritage site in 1984.

Undoubtedly tourists unable to enter the site are hoping that the temple's errant bees will be quickly rehoused.

Smoking ban comes into force at Temple of Confucius world heritage site

In a country where almost half the male population smokes, officials have taken the bold step of banning smoking at the temple, family mansion and cemetery of Confucius, a world heritage site in China's Shandong Province.

 

Apricot Platform in the central courtyard of the Confucius Temple in Qufu (credit: Rolf Müller)

Confucius' temple was built to commemorate him in 478 BCE, and has been rebuilt several times over the centuries. Meanwhile, his cemetery contains the remains of as many as 100,000 of his descendants.

The world heritage site attracts approximately four million visitors each year, and there is no word yet on visitors' reaction to the ban, which was reportedly put in place for fire prevention reasons. In doing so, local officials have got a leg up on the national government, which has yet enact legislation governing smoking in public places.

Consecration ceremony in Timbuktu to celebrate rehabilitation of destroyed medieval mausoleums

Some good news from Mali today with reports of a consecration ceremony held in Timbuktu on February 4, 2016 to mark the restoration of 14 medieval mausoleums destroyed by Islamist militants during their occupation of this world heritage site in 2012.

Djingareyber Mosque (credit: upyernoz)

Rehabilitation of the mausoleums began in March 2014, with local masons working under the supervision of the Imam of the Djingareyber Mosque and with support from UNESCO and the United Nations mission to Mali, known as MINUSMA.