Revisiting Kathmandu. Safeguarding living urban heritage. International Symposium

An international symposium on the conservation of living urban heritage entitled “Revisiting Kathmandu” will take place from 25 to 29 November 2013 in four locations in the Kathmandu Valley World Heritage property.

 

The event is organized by the UNESCO Office in Kathmandu and the Nepal chapter of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), with support from the Department of Archaeology.

 

The symposium takes place in a context where the understanding of heritage rapidly changes.

 

“The new concept of heritage covers more than just monuments. It includes complex urban spaces, where people live, work, worship and celebrate festivals. As values and aspirations of the society change, the approach of urban conservation must adapt and respond to this change”, says Axel Plathe, UNESCO Representatives to Nepal.

 

The symposium will bring together 45 experts from 22 countries to discuss on how to maintain the delicate balance between conserving what represents the intrinsic character and value of the historic city, while, at the same time, allowing for the change that is required for the city to continue to develop.

 

The symposium will begin with an inaugural ceremony on the evening of 25 November 2013 at Patan Museum in Lalitpur (5.30 – 7.30 pm). It consists of a series of workshops on the conservation of living urban heritage, that will be held in four of the seven monument zones of the Kathmandu Valley World Heritage property, namely at Patan Durbar Square (26 November), Pashupati (27 November), Bhaktapur (28 November) and Hanuman Dhoka (29 November).

 

Each day is devoted to a specific theme, namely authenticity, community, management and disaster risk management. Supporting activities include site visits and poster presentations in the evenings.

 

More information on the Symposium is available at http://www.unesco.org/new/en/kathmandu/culture/revisiting-kathmandu/.