Egypt's hidden heritage : cultural heritage management and the archaeology of the Coptic Church
The Christian cultural heritage of north Africa is ancient and rich, but at risk after recent political events. Many Christian minority communities living in Islamic environments feel at risk of persecution. This is a topical and timely PhD. The Christian, Coptic heritage of Egypt remains poorly studied from the perspective of heritage management and is also at risk from a number of factors. Using first-hand study and analysis based upon original fieldwork, the thesis offers a state of the art assessment to risks facing Coptic monuments in Egypt today. It does this by situating Egyptian heritage policy within the English framework, and it establishes theoretical approaches to value, significance, meaning, and interpretation in Egyptian heritage within a wider global framework. It is based on the analysis of three markedly different Egyptian Christian Coptic sites, each with their own unique management issues and it offers a series of solutions and ideas to preserve, manage and interpret this unique material culture and to emphasise community solutions as being the most viable and sustainable approaches, whilst taking into account the varied levels of significance of these monuments.
Heale, Daniel
heritage ; Coptic ; Copts ; archaeology ; Abu Mina ; St. Paul ; Haret Zuwaila
Egypt's hidden heritage : cultural heritage management and the archaeology of the Coptic Church. The Christian cultural heritage of north Africa is ancient and rich, but at risk after recent political events. Many Christian minority communities living in Islamic environments feel at risk of persecution. This is a topical and timely PhD. The Christian, Coptic heritage of Egypt remains poorly studied from the perspective of heritage management and is also at risk from a number of factors. Using first-hand study and analysis based upon original fieldwork, the thesis offers a state of the art assessment to risks facing Coptic monuments in Egypt today. It does this by situating Egyptian heritage policy within the English framework, and it establishes theoretical approaches to value, significance, meaning, and interpretation in Egyptian heritage within a wider global framework. It is based on the analysis of three markedly different Egyptian Christian Coptic sites, each with their own unique management issues and it offers a series of solutions and ideas to preserve, manage and interpret this unique material culture and to emphasise community solutions as being the most viable and sustainable approaches, whilst taking into account the varied levels of significance of these monuments.
egypt hidden heritage cultural_heritage management archaeology coptic church christian cultural_heritage north_africa ancient rich risk recent political_event many christian minority community_live islamic environment feel risk persecution topical timely phd christian coptic heritage egypt remain_poorly study perspective heritage_management also risk number_factor using first_hand study analysis base_upon original fieldwork offer state_art assessment risk face coptic monument egypt today situate egyptian heritage policy within english framework_establish theoretical_approach value significance meaning interpretation egyptian heritage within_wider global framework base analysis markedly_different egyptian christian coptic site unique management issue offer series solution idea preserve manage interpret unique material_culture emphasise community solution viable sustainable approach whilst take_account varied level significance monument