The Price of Heritage

Can one put a price on the preservation of heritage? For many this is an easy question to answer. The past must at all costs be preserved since it plays a vital role in preserving a nation’s memory. Without the past there is no future and so on. But what is the monetary value behind preserving old buildings and neighborhoods? Is it the money gained from attracting tourists and employing the local population? What if this is done at the cost of eradicating local lifestyles and customs?

On a visit to Shanghai a couple of years ago I was struck by the sounds of jackhammers and demolition crews while passing through old neighborhoods located in close juxtaposition to some of its glitzy skyscrapers and gleaming central business district. It seems that the city was on a race to eradicate its past and present a new image of itself. It was motivated mostly by the Expo which took place this year. In fact according to recent reports the government of Shanghai spent nearly $45 billion in urban and expo related developments. This has changed the city’s character and the relocation of thousands of residents. Yet, according to the New York Times, the demolition has not been indiscriminate as in Beijing.

For instance, in 2004 the government created 12 preservation zones offering some measure of protection for historic areas in a recognition that these sites will attract tourists. Yet it needs to be pointed out that many of these structures are not traditional Chinese in the pure sense. They were in fact houses built by British and French colonialists in the 19th century. More significantly they are not particularly hygienic – there is a lack of a proper sewage system and residents wash outdoors – while charming, a modern city needs to grow and evolve.

The scene in Beijing was different. My visit was prior to the Olympic games and its Hutong’s – charming old courtyard houses – were on their way to being eradicated. With my companions we managed to secure a visit to some of these houses which residents have converted into museums, allowing outsiders a peek into traditional Chinese domestic life. Yet clearly such scenes would not remain for long given the massive developments associated with the Olympics.

Last Summer I visited in Egypt the recently pedestrianized Al Muiz Street, Cairo’s ancient thoroughfare immortalised by Naguib Mahfouz in his trilogy as the street between the two palaces (bay al qasrayn). The street has been thoroughly cleaned, paved and the facades of its buildings renovated. Yet what gave the street its vitality and character was lacking. The sound of street vendors, the mixing of cars and people, the crowdedness – all that has somehow disappeared in the midst of massive security checkpoints and an overall highly sanitized environment. The street has been converted into an open-air museum catering to tourists and the well-to-do without offending the sensibilities of the city’s upper middle class, who descend from the newly built gated communities of New Cairo to enjoy a taste of the traditional.

Throughout the Middle East efforts are being directed towards reviving old city centers. Consider the case of Damascus. It has become another example of a city reconfigured to cater to global capital and various investment interests. For instance a 2007 Economist report indicates that there are plans to bulldoze two ancient districts just outside the city's northern gates to build an eight-lane motorway flanked by high-rise blocks skirting the city. This has prompted some to argue that “While Baghdad is being destroyed by war … are we to see Damascus destroyed by vested interests?” Other developments include converting old houses into Boutique hotels catering to the rich.

In the Gulf region similar efforts are taking place – albeit at a different scale. For instance the Dohaland project in Doha aims at recreating a traditional neighborhood. Or Souq Waqif the city’s traditional marketplace, renovated to cater to the city’s local residents as well as tourists. In the UAE the case of the Bastakiy’a district in Dubai or the Mereija neighborhood in Sharjah are good examples. In fact the latter is currently undergoing a massive effort under what has come to be known as the ‘Heart of Sharjah’ project recently announced by the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq). It is considered one of the largest heritage projects in the region. According to news reports the multi-phase project includes “ongoing development works with the aim of reviving the historic and heritage areas, re-establishing the link that was there in 1950s and transforming Sharjah into a tourist and trade destination with modern contemporary artistic touches.” These are no doubt noble objectives.

So to go back to the initial question posed: can one out a price on heritage? Considering that the concept of heritage is open to multiple interpretations, and is subject to the whims of global capital and a burgeoning tourism industry threatening to engulf everything in its wake, the answer seems to be clear.

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