WORLD HERITAGE SITES

PART 4

PROF SANGHAMITRA BASU

ARCHITECTURE & REGIONAL PLANNING DEPARTMENT

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 Outstanding Universal Value
 Heritage significance of such a high order that it goes beyond
national, regional and local importance, and becomes
globally significant; e.g. Taj Mahal.

 To be explained through the 10 Criteria set out by UNESCO

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 Outstanding Universal Value i. Masterpiece
The three pillars of Outstanding Universal Value ii. Interchange of values
(Note: Authenticity is not applicable to natural iii. Testimony of cultures
properties) iv. Typology of built heritage
v. Land Use
vi. Association with ideas, traditions,
etc.
vii. Natural Phenomena
viii. Ecological and biological processes
ix. Natural habitats
x. biological diversity

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 What is authenticity? What is Integrity ?

 Authenticity and OUV

 Authenticity and Significance

 Assessing Authenticity

 Compromised Authenticity

 Authenticity and its Attributes

 Integrity and its Components

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 Authenticity and Integrity

• Authenticity: Measure of genuineness or credibility

• Integrity: Measure of totality or completeness

• ‘How much original remains’ and ‘How much remains’

To explain the heritage value of the site satisfactorily as per

original

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Understanding Authenticity

Royal Castle, Chambord France

Disneyland , California

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 Authenticity
1. “Wholeness” (are all the elements necessary
to tell fully the story of the site?)

2. Is the property of sufficient size to hold all

features and processes necessary to convey
significance?), and

3. “Intactness” (asking about the condition of

the property in relation to the threats to its
existence, and any risks in the environment
surrounding the property).

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Significance & Authenticity
• The ability to understand the
value attributed to the heritage
depends on the degree to which
information sources about this
value may be understood as
credible or truthful.
• Knowledge and understanding of
these sources of information, in
relation to original and
subsequent characteristics of the • Authenticity in Creativity and Form
cultural heritage, and their
• Authenticity in Material and History
meaning, are the requisite bases
for assessing all aspects of • Authenticity in Continuity of the Social-
authenticity Cultural Context
Significance & Authenticity

Kos Minar
In 1609 the Emperor Jahangir ordered a
small minaret like monuments to be built at
every kos along the Grand Trunk Road. Kos
was an ancient measure of the territory
distance which varied from time to time.
During the period of Emperor Jahangir the
conventional Kos, was measured between 2
miles 3 furlongs to 2 miles 5 furlongs.
Kos Minar , India & Pakisthan

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 Assessment

Sign Signifies Significance Value

• Pile of bricks • Location of • Road Mark • Essential to
place over Travellers
the Road

Research Definition Assessment 11

Criterion (i): an example of the
artistic and technological height of
stepwell tradition.
Criterion (iv): an outstanding
example of a subterranean stepwell
construction and represents a prime
example of an architectural type of
water resource and storage system

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 Value vs. Significance
A. Identification of meaning of an object
Rani ki Vav - stepwell (e.g. heritage);
B. Association of value to object through
meaning

Society
Tangible
and/or Meaning/
Intangible
Significance
Comparative Study with
properties of similar
meaning

Society
 Authenticity
• Conservation is based on the
recognized qualities, significance
and authenticity of a property
Sources of
Qualities /
information Characteristics

True / Credible

Authenticity
 Authenticity and its Attributes
Nara Document discussions:
authenticity is a “measure of the degree to which the values of a heritage
property may be understood to be truthfully, genuinely and credibly,
expressed by the attributes carrying the values”

Authenticity refers to credibility or truthfulness of information related to

original and subsequent characteristics of the Cultural Heritage property
that comprise its OUV.

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 Authenticity and its Attributes

Design, material, setting, workmanship

• Updated Attributes of Authenticity include

o Form and design;
o Materials and substance;
o Use and function;
o Traditions, techniques and management systems;
o Location and setting;
o Language, and other forms of intangible heritage;
o Spirit and feeling; and
o Other internal and external factors

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Authenticity
Authenticity is not a value itself.
Properties do not merit inscription on the
World Heritage List simply because they
are greatly authentic;
rather, inscribed properties must
demonstrate first their claim to
“outstanding universal value”,
and then demonstrate that the attributes
carrying related values are “authentic”,
that is, genuine, real, truthful, credible.
(Stovel, 2003: Annex 4)
Elephanta Caves

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Authenticity
Authenticity is not a value itself.
Properties do not merit inscription on the
World Heritage List simply because they
are greatly authentic;
rather, inscribed properties must
demonstrate first their claim to
“outstanding universal value”,
and then demonstrate that the attributes
carrying related values are “authentic”,
that is, genuine, real, truthful, credible.
(Stovel, 2003: Annex 4)
Elephanta Caves

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Compromised Authenticity

Conjectural reconstruction
might compromise authenticity
– it can impact on the ability to
truthfully convey meaning

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 Integrity of WH Property
Social-Functional Integrity:
Property includes all elements that justify its
significance;
Historical Structural integrity:
It does not suffer from adverse effects of
development or neglect;
Visual Integrity
vs. Visual Impact
Relationship with context/setting:
It is of adequate size for proper management;

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 Aspects of Integrity
 Social-Cultural Integrity
 Historical-Structural Integrity
 Visual-Aesthetic Integrity

Rani ki Vav (the Queen's Stepwell),

Patan , Gujarat

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 Aspects of Integrity
 Social-Cultural Integrity
 Historical-Structural Integrity
 Visual-Aesthetic Integrity

Rani ki Vav (the Queen's Stepwell),

Patan , Gujarat

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 Integrity and its Components
• Integrity refers to the physical intactness or completeness of the
Cultural and/or Natural Heritage properties and their attributes that
comprise its OUV.

• To satisfy the conditions of Integrity, the property should:

o include all elements necessary to express its Outstanding Universal
Value;
o be of adequate size to ensure the complete representation of the
features and processes which convey the property’s significance;
o not suffer from adverse effects of development and/or neglect.

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 Aspects of Integrity
the physical fabric of the property and/or its
significant features should be in good
condition, and the impact of deterioration
processes controlled.
A significant proportion of the elements
necessary to convey the totality of the value
conveyed by the property should be included.
Relationships and dynamic functions present
in cultural landscapes, historic towns or other
living properties essential to their distinctive
character should also be maintained.
(Unesco - WHC,2005, Paragraph 89) Historic City of Ahmadabad

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 Inner and External
Spatiality

• Built-in spatial quality in a work

of art;
• The work of art in relation to
external space;
• Relation of painted surfaces
and sculptural décor within
architecture;
• Relation of historic building
within its physical context;
Authenticity and Integrity analysis

 the ability of a property to convey

significance.

 ability of the site managers to secure or

sustain the significance of the site.

 ability to convey significance, and

 ability to secure/sustain significance

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Protection and
Management

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 References
1. http://whc.unesco.org/
2. Course Martial “Management and Conservation of World Heritage
Sites”, 2015, UNITAR (United Nations Institute for Training & Research )
Hiroshima, Japan
3. Lecture presentations in ‘Planning and Management of Cultural
Heritage Sites’ under International Summer Winter Term (ISWT ) /
Global Initiative of Academic Networks (GIAN) for Ministry of Human
Resource Development (MHRD), Government of India, IIT Kharagpur ,
December 7 – December 18, 2015. Coordinator Dr Sanghamitra Basu , IIT
Kharagpur
a) ‘Current World Heritage Issues’ , Prof. Dr. Jukka Jokilehto ICCROM, Italy .
b) ‘ Understanding World Heritage Sites Category’ &
‘What is Tentative List and Revised Tentative List for India -2015’ by Dr.
Shikha Jain, Ex Member Secretary, Advisory Committee for World Heritage
Matters and Director, DRONAH

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