Workshop
Critical Approaches to Heritage and History
With Africa and the Middle East as its focus, this module examines the history of the conservation and management of built heritage. Starting with a review of theories of architectural conservation, the module critiques policies and methods of heritage management and conservation from pre-modern times to the present, with a focus on heritage as a political construct that is embedded in wider issues such as colonialism, nationalism, globalization, development, sustainability and climate change.
Understand basic theories and debates concerning heritage and conservation.
Apply these debates and theories to Africa and the Middle East.
Critique heritage management and conservation approaches and methodologies and link them to contemporary issues and concerns beyond the field of heritage.
Use different media of analysis, synthesis and expression to communicate and debate what they learned.
Instructor
May al-IbrashyMay al-Ibrashy is a licensed architectural engineer with almost 30 years of field experience in conservation and heritage management in Historic Cairo. She is currently founder and chair of Megawra-Built Environment Collective, a twin institution consisting of Egyptian NGO and consultancy working on issues of the built environment. She coordinates Athar Lina, an initiative run by Megawra-BEC in partnership with the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities and Cairo Governorate that conserves the heritage of al-Khalifa in Historic Cairo and conceives of it as a driver for community development. She is also Adjunct Lecturer of Architecture at the American University in Cairo and at Cairo University and Honorary Professor of Practice at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.