This article examines authenticity debates surrounding the Stone of Destiny, a highly charged heritage object traditionally used in the coronation of Scottish and later British monarchs. Drawing on heritage scholarship, it understands authenticity as negotiated and culturally contingent and develops the concept of spectral authenticity to explain how authenticity claims persist, resurface, coexist and accumulate meanings across time. Using an interdisciplinary approach combining ethnography, interviews, historiography, archival research, and media sources, it identifies recurring tropes that have circulated since the 1950s, when the Stone's political significance intensified. These include claims that the Stone is a medieval substitute or modern replica, religious assertions grounded in biblical origin stories, and scholarly or scientific efforts to certify it empirically. Rather than resolving uncertainty, these tropes continually regenerate it while performing distinct cultural and political work. They address historical gaps through myth and vernacular history, enable political expression and national identity formation, support knowledge production, and shape institutional strategies around legitimacy and ritual authority. Claims of (in)authenticity are therefore not simply errors to be corrected but productive forces that sustain the Stone's dense symbolic life, suggesting that heritage practice should engage openly with authenticity's enduring plurality.
This study examines the road to Jerusalem and its transformation in the 1960s, from an historically significant route for pilgrims and travelers that embodied deep cultural, religious, and historical layers, to a modern highway, leading to the new capital of the young state of Israel. This transformation, led by landscape architect Arye Dvir, involved substantial modifications that altered the physical landscape as well as the travel experience, integrating scenic and cultural elements into the road's expansion. Drawing on archival materials, aerial imagery, historical maps, and an interview with Dvir, the study situates the road within broader discourses on landscape architecture, heritage preservation, and national identity. Looking at other scenic highways abroad highlights the road's unique role in shaping collective memory and national symbolism, thus offering new perspectives on infrastructure development within cultural landscapes.
This study reveals the relationship between lost heritage and collective memory in Amasya, a medium-sized historic city in Anatolia. Despite T & uuml;rkiye's diverse heritage, top-down management and the dominance of the authorized heritage discourse may create a disconnect between local communities and their everyday cultural heritage. Using a qualitative method and participatory mapping, this research identifies heritage elements valued by the local community but underrepresented in official inventories and narratives. The findings reveal that heritage loss operates not only through physical disappearance but also through processes of invisibility, disconnection, and transformation. Nine spatially distinct heritage loss zones were identified, each reflecting different configurations of loss types and risks. Although local communities perceive heritage as integral to identity and memory, this awareness has not been translated into sustained conservation practices. The results highlight the limitations of dominant heritage frameworks that prioritize visible and monumental assets while overlooking everyday, locally embedded values. In response, the study emphasizes the need for a bottom-up, risk-based approach that integrates local knowledge into heritage management. By combining spatial data with community narratives, the research demonstrates how participatory mapping can support more inclusive, context-sensitive, and sustainable conservation strategies in historic urban environments.
Authenticity is widely recognized as a core principle in cultural heritage tourism, underpinning meaningful visitor experiences and the long-term sustainability of heritage sites. Despite extensive academic debate, research has predominantly focused on visitor (demand-side) perspectives, overlooking the role of institutional actors in shaping authenticity. Addressing this gap and contributing to a growing body of international supply-side scholarship, this study empirically examines authenticity from the perspective of heritage officials at liberation heritage sites in South Africa. Using thematic content analysis, five interrelated themes were identified: architectural restoration and site integrity, preservation of original physical features, accurate historical representation, aesthetic appreciation, and emotive and narrative connections. The findings reveal that authenticity is not merely an experiential outcome but a deliberately managed, multidimensional construct embedded in material preservation, narrative accuracy, and interpretive practices. By foregrounding heritage officials as key agents in constructing and mediating authenticity, the study advances supply-side authenticity theory. Practically, the results highlight the importance of a balanced, context-sensitive approach to authenticity, which enhances interpretive credibility, strengthens visitor engagement, and supports more sustainable and distinctive heritage tourism strategies.
This research examines the untold stories of preserving Phu & dstrok;e (royal mansions) as living heritage sites located in Hue city, Vietnam. Based on our fieldwork observation, document review, and in-depth interviews with twenty-five research participants, we shed light on how Phu & dstrok;e have been managed and preserved over recent years under the context of increasingly rapid urbanization. Accordingly, there are two main conflicting trends: a large percentage of mansions have been degraded and reconstructed, while a smaller number of them have maintained their traditional layout. These issues highlight the complex challenges in managing and preserving royal mansions, caught between urbanization pressures and heritage conservation. Specifically, the challenges arise from ownership and related responsibilities, policy and its monitoring, barriers in heritage recognition, and the lack of financial resources. These problems have been more visible in the local context of Hue where many heritage elements require protection and preservation. These problems are put into a larger context of national laws and local policies. Finally, we have proposed several insights for local authorities on improving the management and preservation of Vietnam's unique royal mansions.
In a city shaped by the rise and fall of the British ceramics industry, this paper explores how craft-based engagement can rekindle connections to heritage and identity. During family-oriented workshops at Middleport Pottery in Stoke-on-Trent, participants were invited to explore the region's industrial arts legacy through the process of active making. Using linocut printing, inspired by renowned surface patterns, participants engaged in a tactile dialogue with the past, reviving stories of craftsmanship and community. In a place where economic hardship and cultural loss have left deep marks, these moments of shared creativity offered not only artistic expression but also a sense of pride. The workshops encouraged intergenerational collaboration and reflective engagement with material culture. Caregivers were invited to share perspectives on the role of arts and crafts in their children's lives. Despite the city's socio-economic challenges, almost 79% of surveyed caregivers affirmed the meaningful value of creative practices for their child's future and a strong appetite for inclusive, hands-on experiences. Findings demonstrate the potential of dual-audience activities to support intergenerational learning and discourse around material culture. The workshops fostered appreciation for Stoke-on-Trent's industrial legacy while activating cultural memory and aspiration. This paper contributes to discussions around intangible cultural heritage safeguarding and the role of "making" in inclusive, intergenerational engagement, offering practical insights for heritage practitioners and researchers alike.
Although scholarship on Indonesian nationalism is extensive, the cultural agency of intelligentsia in shaping collective memory in peripheral regions remains under-theorized. This study examines how cultural actors in Indonesia's periphery negotiate nationalism, focusing on the Malay community of Tanjung Pinang in the Riau Islands. Using critical discourse analysis of classical Malay manuscripts (Gurindam Dua Belas and Tuhfat al-Nafis), Dutch and British colonial archives, and 13 semi-structured interviews with cultural figures, the study explores how intelligentsia strategically mobilize lieux de m & eacute;moire as dynamic memory work. Figures such as Raja Ali Haji and classical texts are used to affirm Malay identity while articulating an inclusive Indonesian nationalism. However, this process involves internal contestations, including gendered exclusions and generational tensions. Memory practices both strengthen local cohesion and enable national integration, yet Java-centric narratives often marginalize peripheral histories. The study highlights cultural intelligentsia as mediators of translocal identity and contributors to mnemonic sovereignty, rethinking lieux de m & eacute;moire as performative, oral, and digital in postcolonial maritime societies.
This article examines Twiza, a traditional Amazigh practice of collective labor, as a gendered moral and social infrastructure in the Gheris oasis of southeastern Morocco. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Goulmima between July and August 2023, the study approaches Twiza not as a residual cultural tradition but as a historically layered system through which cooperation, authority, and social obligation are continuously produced and reconfigured. Combining feminist anthropology, moral economy, and critical heritage studies, the article traces the transformation of Twiza from a vernacular mode of governance embedded in the tajma't into a dispersed and increasingly informal set of practices shaped by colonial juridification, postcolonial bureaucratization, and socio-economic change. Particular attention is given to women's domestic Twiza, especially collective couscous making and oral performance, as resilient infrastructures of social reproduction that sustain communal life under conditions of institutional erosion and ecological scarcity. The analysis shows that rather than disappearing, collective labor has been redistributed into gendered and less visible social domains, where cooperation persists through affective, moral, and symbolic economies. By foregrounding women's labor, voice, and everyday cooperation, the article reframes Twiza as a living form of intangible cultural heritage and proposes a relational understanding of resilience grounded in ordinary practices of care, reciprocity, and endurance.
This paper examines how Islamic urban principles are interpreted, mediated, and spatially articulated within the morphology of Muslim settlements along the Malabar Coast in India. Moving beyond deterministic readings that attribute urban form directly to religious doctrine, the study adopts a comparative morphological approach to analyze two historically connected yet ecologically and culturally distinct contexts: Shibam in Hadramawt (Yemen) and the Kuttichira precinct in Calicut (India). Drawing on a qualitative analytical framework integrating spatial morphology, socio-cultural organization, and historical processes, the research investigates how ethical principles commonly associated with Islamic urbanism are translated into built form. The findings demonstrate that urban morphology in both cases emerges through context-dependent processes shaped by environmental constraints, material practices, trade networks, kinship structures, and political-economic dynamics. While certain spatial characteristics resonate with Islamic ethical frameworks, their manifestation varies significantly, indicating that these principles function not as prescriptive generators of form but as interpretive frameworks. The study highlights the role of cultural negotiation in producing hybrid and layered urban environments, particularly in Malabar, where Islamic practices intersect with matrilineal systems and vernacular traditions. The paper advances contextual Islamic urbanism as an analytical lens to understand urban form as a relational, assemblage-based, and processual outcome shaped by multiple interacting forces.
This paper explores the role of multicultural food events in contributing to the process of inclusion and democratization in museums. By placing these events in the context of the "participatory turn," I aim to critically assess critiques that have labeled such practices as "empowerment-lite" or as promoting "shallow" multiculturalism. Rather, this paper will emphasize an alternative focus on the relational and emotional dimensions inherent in these museological events. Utilizing a small wins framework, I argue that small moments of personal interactions, while seemingly modest, can have the potential to contribute to meaningful social change. Drawing on qualitative data from interviews with museum professionals and participants at Norwegian museums, the findings illustrate that the personal encounters and relationships that occur during multicultural food events can be important building blocks toward enhanced inclusivity in museums. In a climate where museums are expected to address social issues, I argue that creating welcoming environments and nurturing interpersonal relationships can contribute to processes of democratization and a reframing of museums as spaces of social care.
At the close of the eighteenth century, the village of Drehberg became the site of an annual local sporting event, classified as a pseudo-Olympics or pre-modern Olympic Games. After a hiatus of nearly 190 years, this tradition has been revived in contemporary times. This article examines both the historical event and the locality within the conceptual framework of cultural and sports heritage tourism, with particular emphasis on the safeguarding and preservation of cultural heritage. Employing a methodological triangulation - including archival research, expert and standardized interviews, field visits, and content analysis of tourist guidebooks - it explores both the tangible and intangible dimensions of this heritage phenomenon. The findings reveal a pronounced discrepancy between the cultural significance attributed to the Drehberg Olympic Games and their marginal representation within the tourism discourse of the Dessau-W & ouml;rlitz Garden Realm, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The article contends that Drehberg, through its unique integration of sport, education, historical tradition, and local identity, possesses considerable - yet largely untapped - potential as a heritage tourism destination. In light of this, the article underscores the imperative to reassess existing promotional strategies and to develop new narrative frameworks that would reposition Drehberg within the cultural and touristic landscape of the Dessau-W & ouml;rlitz region.
This qualitative investigation examines the potential of the GCC Heritage Corridor as an innovative framework for transforming regional tourism by capitalizing on the shared cultural heritage of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states. Employing document analysis, participant observation, and visual analysis, the study explores how the corridor can redefine tourism paradigms by emphasizing unifying cultural narratives, including Bedouin traditions, Islamic architectural heritage, and maritime history. Thematic and content analysis of policy documents, cultural events, and promotional materials indicates that the corridor not only cultivates a cohesive regional identity but also addresses critical challenges such as heritage preservation and interregional competition. The findings underscore the corridor's capacity to enhance tourism attractiveness, stimulate economic development, and facilitate cross-cultural exchange. The study concludes that a collaborative, heritage-centric approach to tourism development can position the GCC as a distinctive cultural destination on the global stage. Key recommendations include fostering stronger regional partnerships, prioritizing investments in heritage conservation, and embedding the corridor within comprehensive tourism strategies. This research advances the discourse on cultural heritage as a catalyst for regional tourism and provides actionable insights for policymakers and stakeholders within and beyond the GCC.
Christmas markets offer a wealth of sensory experiences and historical/cultural value. Whilst sensory experiences may be recognized as heritage if having social value and transmitted intergenerationally, no research has investigated on-site heritage perceptions of the multisensorial Christmas markets experience. This study examined sensory/multisensory experiences and heritage perceptions of five European Christmas markets (Dresden, Mainz, Frankfurt, Offenbach, Birmingham) using on-site interviews (n = 58) and a stallholder survey (n = 74). We found that aurality dominated in Birmingham, while olfactory and visual components were primarily identified in German markets, which were also ascribed importance and heritage. Visual icons included Christmas trees, carousels, and lighting displays, while important aural elements included the soundmarks of Turmblasen and Stadtgel & auml;ut, alongside traditional music. Crucial market odors and tastes included Gl & uuml;hwein, Kartoffelpuffer and other regional specialties, often considered unique and representative of a specific market. Whilst iconic sensory elements reveal ascribed heritage, combined sensory experience (multisensory puzzle) was considered essential, itself forming an inseparable culturally significant component. Furthermore, participant localness and child visitation were related to higher degrees of meaning and significance, and sensorial experiences acted as a vehicle to advance other heritages. Our findings extend the debate of intangible heritage meaning, sensorial memory connections, and intergenerational heritage engagement.
This study analyses the educational and promotional activities carried out by the Italian State Archives in the decade 2013-2023, evaluating their distribution by region and assessing the impact of the National Plans for Cultural Heritage Education launched in 2015. The analysis classifies the activities according to two main functions training and promotion and examines their territorial distribution across three macro-areas (North, Centre, South and Islands) in relation to the international framework of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Council of Europe's Faro Convention. The results reveal that the National Plans produced a significant catalytic effect, particularly in the South and Islands. However, when data are normalized by number of archives, the territorial disparities prove to be qualitative rather than quantitative: the Centre and the South record more activities per archive than the North, but with a less diversified offer concentrated in fewer typologies. The temporal analysis shows that the COVID-19 pandemic had an asymmetric impact, disproportionately affecting regions with fewer digital infrastructures and a more in-person-dependent offer. These findings suggest that the challenge for the Italian archival system is not merely to increase the volume of activities but to diversify the offer, strengthen inter-institutional networks, and build resilience through the integration of digital technologies.
This article examines how heritagization processes unfold unevenly in post-conflict rural societies, through a comparative analysis of two memory-laden sites in Jezzine, southern Lebanon. The first, the Kanaan Palace, is actively maintained as a dynastic landmark through familial stewardship and local pride. The second, an unfinished building initiated by Cardinal Boulos Boutros Meouchi, remains suspended in symbolic and material limbo after being repurposed during wartime. While both sites carry historical and emotional weight, their divergent trajectories reveal how heritagization is not a given - even in the presence of strong memory narratives - but rather a fragile and contingent process shaped by spatial continuity, affective investment, and institutional mediation. By grounding the analysis in ethnographic fieldwork and local narratives, and contextualizing it through comparative examples from Bosnia, South Africa, and Iraq, the article demonstrates how rural heritage often emerges outside formal recognition frameworks. It argues that the politics of absence - shaped by war, sacred claims, and unresolved ownership - can lead to memory "freezes," where sites remain saturated with meaning but unarticulated in public discourse. The findings highlight the potential for participatory, locally grounded heritage practices in contexts where official interventions are absent or fragmented. In doing so, the article contributes to critical heritage debates on memory, trauma, and agency, and positions rural Lebanon as a relevant case in broader conversations about grassroots heritagization in post-conflict settings.
