Conservation And Development Of Cultural Heritage In Doha

Abstract

Throughout the world, many urban designers and architects have been working toward the protection, preservation and enhancement of urban heritage in order to increase its usefulness as well as preserve the cities' cultural identities. Indeed, heritage conservation has become the central activity of planning and urban design. Urban heritage is under growing pressure in many areas of the world including Doha. In fact, Doha hosts a rich vernacular architecture, including a number of major historic sites and monuments. The architectural richness of urban heritage in Doha is clearly displayed in the defensive towers, mosques, palaces, houses and Souk Waqif. In many areas of the world, including Doha, heritage areas and monuments with their physical, aesthetical, cultural, and socio-economic aspects, have started to be preserved, revitalized, maintained but rarely integrated within a strategic planning and design process. Heritage resources in Doha should be protected and enhanced so that people will be encouraged to visit and use them for promoting national and international heritage tourism. This paper summarizes the outcomes of UREP project related to the Doha cultural heritage. The project attempted to examine and evaluate the Doha urban heritage with respect to aesthetical, cultural, social, economic and environmental considerations. This research provided a detailed research work, by identifying and providing better appreciation of urban heritage. The basic purpose of this UREP project was to study in detail the planning and management process of urban heritage in Doha. This study had three major objectives to achieve: *To develop feasible means for conservation, planning and management of historic areas in Doha. *To identify and describe the significance as well as the constraints facing urban heritage in Doha. *To promote appreciation and better understanding among the general public toward special consideration of heritage resources and values within a modern development process. An empirical approach was needed and revealed vital to this project in order to collect the necessary information so that objective observations and evaluation could be established. Therefore it was necessary to identify the significance of old Doha and identify constraints and stresses which hindered its appropriate rehabilitation. The research was strategic in the sense that it intended to comprehensively evaluate and compare the current situation of heritage sites in Doha. The study was also important in promoting development of a network system and understanding among many researchers and professionals dealing with heritage conservation. The network system tool of this proposal would also support the work of relevant government and private organizations such as heritage and conservation departments, regional and municipal planning authorities and many heritage interests and research centers.