Conservation of dry-stone structures: a practical study on the Al-Makhrour’s watchtowers

ABSTRACT

Watchtowers, also called huts, manatir, qussur, ezab, araaiesh, siear, are architectural structures built of drystone without mortar overlooking the cultivated lands. They contribute to the ultimate formation of a unique cultural landscape evolved from the proper adaptation of land for agriculture using special systemisation, and to the inscription of the site named: ‘Palestine: Land of Olives and Vines, Cultural Landscape of Southern Jerusalem on the World Heritage List’ (WHL). The inappropriate state of conservation of the watchtowers, among other factors, resulted in causing the whole property to be on the UNESCO’s WHL in-danger since 2014 until the present. This research documented fifty watchtowers out of approximately 259 distributed over 13 square kilometres within the World Heritage Property (WHP). It also included a practical conservation project for twenty watchtowers selected upon a scientific multi-disciplinary approach after a field survey, literature review, assessment of previous conservation interventions, and direct observations based on the international related guidelines. The project succeeded in the conservation of twenty watchtowers and the revitalisation of the lands associated with them. The results of the project were investigated in terms of the commitment of conservation rules in particular: Documentation, Reversibility, Authenticity, Distinguishability, Adaptive reuse, Cultural Landscape, and Human Dimension.

Keywords:

• Cultural heritage
• watchtowers
• conservation
• world heritage
• dry stone
• agricultural terraces
• adaptive reuse

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank my research supervisors, Dr Zaki Aslan, the regional director of ICCROM-Sharjah, and the Co-supervisor, Dr Ahmed Rjoub. I also thank all the staff of the University of Sharjah, in particular Professor Dr Munther Jamhawi. I want to express my deep gratitude to her excellency Ms Rula Maàyaa, the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, for their valuable support and motivation, also to all of my colleagues at the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities for their support and friendship, I would like to thank the Caritas-Jerusalem institution and the Beit Jala municipality for their cooperation in the practical conservation projects in particular eng. Imad Hazboun and eng. Fadi Jaabary. Many thanks to the owners of the watchtowers whom welcomed me at Al-Makrour area and to Arch. Najati Fitiani for their generous support and cooperation. Thanks to my friend, Ms Brynn Grossman for her generous support in editing and proof reading of this research, also many thanks to my dear friend Arch. Abdullah Dweik. Finally, I want to thank the Landscape History Journal, in particular Dr Della Hooke and the editorial board for publishing my article.