PAPER ASSIGNMENT: 

WORLD HERITAGE AND CULTURAL PRESERVATION.

Many of the great cities and monuments of Early Christian, Byzantine and larger Orthodox and

Eastern Christian world are recognized by UNESCO’s World Heritage program, and have been protected by international non-profit NGO’s such as ICOMOS or the World Monuments Fund.  Some are protected by State or their own religious institutions.  Many such sites are endangered, either by urban growth, neglect, or even war.  Most challenging to preserve are living cities.  In this assignment, I would like you to see how the Early Christian, Byzantine and Orthodox world heritage is cared for in a specific place, and to research it in light of what we’ve been learning. This is also meant as an opportunity for you to learn more about specific sites or regions that interest you, many of which we will not be covering in class due to time limitations. So:

1.      Geographic and historic scope.  Consider sites from the geographic areas and historical periods our class will cover.  Use the syllabus as a resource, and please ask me about appropriate sites as well.  Look for World Heritage sites and Christian sites from:

•     Early medieval Italy, especially Rome, Ravenna, and Venice.

•     Norman sites in Sicily from the 12^th-13^th cents.

•     Individual monuments from Byzantine Istanbul.

•     Individual Christian sites from around Western Anatolia/Asia Minor

•     Christian Syria, Palestine, Israel, and Egypt.  OK, and northern Iraq.  Check with me.

•     Armenian sites in Armenia, Turkey or Syria.

•     Coptic Orthodox sites in Egypt, Ethiopia, or Sudan.

•     Orthodox Christian sites in the Balkans: Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, etc.

•     Ukraine and Russia.  Pre-modern please—this is a medieval course.  Check with me.

2.      Please look over the World Heritage List, ICOMOS, and the World Monuments Fund

sites on-line.  All have links on your Blackboard site.  If you are looking at a religious site, find out who is responsible for it, and whether there is State protection provided.

3.      Decide on a city or specific monument for your research focus.  Be sure to choose a place that appears on at least two of these programs’ lists.  If a favorite place isn’t listed, find another.  

4.      Review your textbook and our class supplemental readings for background reading on the history and art history of the place and period in question.  Be sure you understand the local style, local history, local issues, whatever.  Review the Venice Charter on historic preservation.

5.      Use an authoritative research source, such as the Oxford Art Online, available easily through the GMU Library databases.  Use the Dumbarton Oaks website resources for Byzantine Studies as well.  Do this! I’ll look for it.  Wikipedia may get you started with bibliography—cite it if you use it for bibliography or for pictures--but use better sources for your actual historical research.

The write-up:  In four to five pages, plus references, please tell me about current efforts to improve Early Christian or Byzantine sites through historic preservation or harmonious new architecture.  Tell me how you think they fit in (or not) with what we’ve learned through our own study of architecture, through our own readings.  Be sure to do all these things:

•       Identify clearly the place or region you are discussing, and summarize the relevant historical and architectural background of the place.  What are the physical aspects of the site, or its climate, or its geographic-historical position?  

•       Explain the name and scope of the UNESCO World Heritage site your site includes or falls under.  Be sure you understand the World Heritage program.  What was the date of inscription?  Which criteria were used to add the site to the list? What are the challenges that site faces today? What plans does UNESCO or local government have for its future?

•       Show me that you have dug into our reading and other reputable background sources (Oxford Art Online, for example, or Dumbarton Oaks resources).  This is crucial, and must be done.

•       For each of the two or three preservation programs you discuss: What is the nature of the program?  What is their mission?  Who funds it? What exactly do they do when they intervene?  What do they encourage, and what do they discourage?

•       For the city or region you have chosen: What are other NGOs, governments, archeologists or religious institutions doing there?  What are the long-terms aims?  What is being preserved, or developed?  What have been the results so far?  The outstanding problems? Is the work consistent with the Venice Charter?

•       Write this all up as an essay in good college English, with a title, introduction and conclusion.              Be sure to cite all your relevant print and on-line sources fully and correctly.

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HANDY CHECKLIST:

FINDING AN APPROPRIATE SITE

_____   Found a UNESCO World Heritage site appropriate to our study of Early Christian and   Byzantine art—in Italy, eastern Mediterranean, Greece, Caucasus, Russia/Ukraine, or the Balkans.

_____ Found the date of inscription to the World Heritage list.

_____ Found and understood the criteria for inscribing that particular site.

_____ Found some of the challenges or plans for preserving and developing the site.

_____ The site is also found on at least one of the following program lists:

         _____ World Monuments Fund (see the website, linked on Blackboard)

 _____ ICOMOS (see the website, linked on Blackboard)  _____ A religious institution’s restoration/development project

 _____ A local or national government development or preservation agenda. _____  Get my approval on the site as appropriate for the course.

RESEARCH AND WRITE-UP:

_____ Included the World Heritage site date of inscription and explained the relevant criteria.

_____ Discussed the efforts there of other NGO or government institutions.

_____ Used historical background from the textbooks or other appropriate class readings? _____  Used an authoritative research source such as the Oxford Art History database or Dumbarton Oaks research databases to help explain the site and the work done there.

_____ Consulted the Venice Charter (on Blackboard and the ICOMOS website) on principles

of architectural preservation and compared it to what you’ve learned about work done at the site? _____ Wrote it all up in four or five typed pages?

_____ Citations included, properly done in MLA or Chicago style?