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

Survey uncovers 300 historical buildings in Old Delhi

In an effort to bolster India's 2012 application for UNESCO to inscribe Old Delhi as a world heritage site, the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) has undertaken an in-depth survey, as a result of which 300 historical buildings have reportedly been added to a list which already features over 1,000.

Most of the properties date from the British colonial period, although some go back to the Mughal era. Some of the havelis (mansions) identified through the survey are in good condition, but many are decrepit as their private owners are unable or ill-disposed to maintain them.

Yangon: Prime candidate for world heritage status?

For anyone who has been in Yangon recently, it is clear that it is a city undergoing dramatic change. After decades of somnolence under Myanmar's military government, the recent political and economic thaw is producing rapid, seemingly uncontrolled development. During my visit earlier this year, traffic jams were among the worst I've experienced and construction hoardings were ubiquitous.

Typical street in central Yangon

However, Yangon remains a gem by any measure. Not only does it boast the highest number of colonial-era buildings anywhere in South-East Asia but its Shwedagon Pagoda should be on everyone must-visit list. As such, I agree with UNESCO National Project Officer Daw Ohnmar Myo's assessment, reported this week in the Myanmar Times, that Yangon is a prime candidate to be listed as a world heritage site.

Colonial-era building near Yangon's waterfront

While such a designation could also help to ensure protection of the city's many architectural treasures, whether an application is ever made remains an open question. Not only is there some confusion as to which level of government should take responsibility for coordinating the application, but certain business interests are unlikely to appreciate the limits on development that a world heritage designation would entail. Let's hope the case for heritage preservation wins the day.

Yangon's famed Shwedagon Pagoda

Peru proposes a code of conduct for NGOs following Greenpeace's ill-judged Nasca Lines protest

Many Peruvians were outraged in December 2014 when Greepeace staged a protest in support of renewable energy that involved laying yellow fabric letters near the Nasca Lines. The Nasca Lines are one of Peru's leading world heritage sites and encompass a series of gigantic geoglyphs etched into the Pacific coastal desert between 500 BCE and 500 CE. Peruvian officials accused Greenpeace of permanently damaging the geoglyphs, which in turn led to an embarrassing climb-down for the organization.

Greenpeace protest at Nasca Lines in December 2014

Now, Peru is promoting the approval of a code of conduct at UNESCO for NGOs and civil society organizations to respect countries' cultural heritage. According to the Agencia Peruana de Noticias, the code would establish expected behaviours to help preserve and conserve the world’s cultural heritage and prevent it from being damaged.

While this sounds like a worthy initiative, we will have to wait until the proposal is formally tabled at an upcoming UNESCO committee meeting in Namibia to gauge the level of support among other member states.

Activist judge raises the alarm over a crematorium near the Taj Mahal

Not only is the Taj Mahal India's foremost tourist destination, it is also a leading world heritage site and its iconic white dome and minarets are among India's most recognizable cultural symbols.

As such, it is perhaps no surprise that an Indian Supreme Court judge, during a recent visit to the famous mausoleum, was concerned that its beauty was being sullied by smoke from a nearby wood-burning crematorium. Moved to action, he reportedly raised his concern with fellow judges, who in turn issued an order to the State of Uttar Pradesh to relocate the wood-burning crematorium or replace it with an electric one. 

The state government has 15 days to respond, though it is not clear what sanctions it would face if it fails to do so.

Exciting new research on El Salvador's Pompeii

The Joya de Cerén Archaeological Site, a world heritage site in El Salvador, rivals Pompeii for its exceptional remains of a pre-Columbian agricultural community that was buried under several meters of volcanic ash during an eruption of the Laguna Caldera Volcano in approximately 660 CE.

Ceren archaeological site

This week the University of Colorado in Boulder published a fascinating article on recent archaeological research at the site, which challenges the common perception that the common people of time were lorded over by ruthless elites. As well, the research has underscored the complexity of local social structures and relationships.   

Given that the historical record of indigenous Latin America is dominated by the observations of the early Spanish conquistadors and their hangers-on, archaeological research of the sort being pursued by the University of Colorado is a welcome corrective to the traditional narrative.

First aid for cultural heritage

Fresh on the heels a recent proposal to deploy UN Blue Helmets to protect world heritage sites in conflict zones, UNESCO announced this week a course on "first aid to cultural heritage in times of crisis."

Organized jointly by the Smithsonian Institute and the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM), the course provides "strategies for interlocking humanitarian  specialists with cultural ones in order to better integrate cultural responses during an emergency situation ... The course [also] imparts practical skills and knowledge for taking simple measures to secure and stabilize endangered cultural heritage."

Anyone interested in taking the course must act quickly: the deadline for applications is November 9, 2015...

Mont-Saint-Michel regains its island status

Mont-Saint-Michel, a Benedictine abbey established in the 11th century in a bay off France's Normandy coast, has - according to Fox News - officially become an island again upon the completion of a decade-long project to replace an longstanding artificial causeway with a bridge.

While this may result in some inconvenience for the 2.5 million tourists who visit the Abbey each year, the bridge will allow water to flow freely around the world heritage site and help remove the sand infilling the bay. I'm sure the site will be all the more impressive without dozens of tour buses trundling up to the base of the Abbey every day.