Re-use Of Historical Buildings In The Holy City Of Makkah: Case Study Selection Guidelines

When dealing with heritage conservation, the holy city of Makkah comes as one
of the most sensitive cases to deal with. This is mainly due to the pace of
development in the central area surrounding Almasjed Alharam (The Holy
Mosque). This paper explores the standards of rehabilitation and re-using of
historic buildings in that special region. The importance of the study arises from
the urgent need to address issues of heritage and conservation amid fast
developments and transformations of the urban fabric of the holy city of Makkah.
The methodology is based on both theoretical and applied analytical approaches.
Theoretically, the research contextualizes for the development of the holy city of
Makkah, by introducing its heritage, socio-economic, cultural and political factors
that have been on the scene for long. Finally, the study concludes by presenting a
case study for dealing with heritage buildings within the context of development
that is taking place in the area.