Towards Sustainable Heritage Conservation in Egypt: A Detailed Analysis for Identifying the Values Used in Selecting Heritage Buildings

Abstract

Listing heritage buildings in a certain country is the first step towards building conservation and sustainability. Thus, national governments, agencies, or organizations are responsible for deciding whether a building is of special value that should be listed. Different building conservation systems all over the world aim to preserve their heritage by identifying values based on the global principles agreed upon in all charters and treaties. Value concept passed through a long evolution of human thought including historical, artistic, social, political, educational, cultural, and many others. However, such various dimensions of values have become beyond the discussion and analysis of heritage conservation projects. This research seeks to identify and collect all values for selecting heritage buildings to facilitate their registration and management. Therefore, the study focuses on reviewing the existing criteria for listing heritage buildings in five countries: Canada, United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and the European Union. According to the results of the content analysis, by summing up all criteria needed for listing heritage buildings, a detailed analytical study for values and their indicators is conducted to improve and facilitate the listing management system in Egypt. Furthermore, the result shows the values and indicators that need to be added in the assessment criteria of Egyptian national law. This can raise the awareness and significance of various heritage buildings preventing their neglect and demolition.