Khaldun B'shara (Riwaq Centre, Ramallah). (Conservation architect).
There is no cash for conservation and protection for Muslim Ottoman architecture, and little done because of the weak legislative frame. However, post Oslo some conservation was started. There is the Bethlehem Centre for Cultural Heritage preservation. The Old City of Jerusalem is now deteriorating. The settlers are protected by 1500 soldiers. RIWAQ only has NGOs such as Al Waqf and the Hebron Rehabilitation Committee. There are the Bethlehem 2000 Committee; Bethlehem Centre for Cultural and Heritage Preservation and the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquity and others. To protect buildings there is the National Register and community outreach programmes.
These are also essential for the preservation of architectural and historical culture.
Riwaq concerned with residents of the Old City keeping their identity cards. Hebron managed to bring 4000 Palestinians back to the area, but then after Oslo this was stopped.
Much of Riwaq’s work concerned with the renewal and reconstruction and preservation of access from one building to another.
In Bethlehem the city was divided into zones for the peace process in 1998, but this was destroyed in 2002.
Riwaq is providing cash for job creation and using architectural heritage as an element of sustained development and restoration projections.
Nostalgic Rehabilitation: UNESCO decisions are all made without consultation with RIWAQ. It is wishful thinking that UNESCO would recognise Liftah, because if it did so, it would have to recognise Palestine . “Heritage of one is heritage of all”, universal and global. But on the other hand, preservation of heritage is also up to individual nations.