Saudi Cultural Missions Theses & Dissertations
Permanent URI for this communityhttps://drepo.sdl.edu.sa/handle/20.500.14154/10
Browse
2 results
Search Results
Item Restricted THE EMERGENCE AND CONSOLIDATION OF HERITAGE CONSERVATION IN MECCA, SAUDI ARABIA, 1955-2021(Newcastle University, 2024-02-20) Alfelali, Mohanad; Garcia-Fuentes, Josep-MariaBuilt heritage sites in the Hejaz of Arabia, in general, and in Mecca, in particular, have been under pressure from modernisation and globalisation since the beginning of Islam. In the case of Mecca city, this thesis argues that the enormous expansions of the Holy Mosque since 1955, in line with steady growth in the number of pilgrims to this honourable spot of land, along with poor public awareness of the importance of these sites, have weakened the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s resistance to these pressures. There is a noticeable absence of research on the heritage conservation movement in Saudi Arabia, especially in Mecca city. A search of the literature shows that no chronological study exploring the emergence of the heritage conservation movement in the city of Mecca covers the period between 1955 and 2021. Therefore, the framework of this doctoral research has been shaped by the aim to investigate the emergence and consolidation of the heritage conservation movement in the city of Mecca between 1955 and 2021 through the analysis of the related cultural, social, and economic debate and to discuss to what extent the concept of heritage conservation is applicable to Mecca city. This is accomplished through analytical methods that have been employed to understand the evolution of heritage conservation in Mecca via a chronological (66-year) analysis of the gathered data from various sources, including published books, journal articles, historical references, archive documents (maps, photographs and others), government reports and statistics, dissertations along with local and national newspapers. Besides the chronological analysis, numerous semi-structured interviews with a variety of stakeholders (decision-makers, local experts, academics, and local residents) are conducted to fill information gaps and explore the points of view of the different actors and stakeholders regarding heritage conservation in Saudi Arabia in general and in Mecca city in particular. The research makes an essential contribution by addressing this gap through analysing laws and regulations, key actors, and implementation. In the early 1970s, the economic growth and waves of urbanisation accompanying the oil boom had disastrous impacts on urban heritage, resulting in the loss of many heritage sites and making heritage conservation a popular yet controversial theme. All of this attracted the government and those interested in heritage attention to the importance of heritage and its relevance in preserving Saudi identity; thus, genuine efforts started. These efforts led to the establishment of the first official law in Saudi Arabia in 1972, based on the Antiquities Law of Egypt. However, this thesis contends that the Saudi state's desire to preserve its heritage predated the enactment of the laws, citing the conservation of the old structure (the Ottoman Portico) of the Holy Mosque by royal decree in 1967 as proof. Although the emergence of heritage protection norms in Saudi Arabia manifested in the passage of the updated law in 2014, which greatly expanded heritage protection in several ways, there was no obligation and insufficient determination to safeguard heritage buildings and sites in Mecca. One of the most apparent findings in this study is a considerable trade-off between heritage conservation and the economic demand for an increased number of pilgrims. This thesis indicates that Mecca's heritage conservation situation is complex and uneven. The most severe threats to heritage are a large number of visitors, commercial progress, and a lack of knowledge.32 0Item Restricted TAXONOMIC AND CONSERVATION STUDIES OF THE ARABIAN PENINSULA VERBASCUM SPECIES(University of Birmingham, 2024-03-28) Alzahrani, Ali Mohammed; Maxted, Nigel; Magos Brehm, Joana; Ghazanfar, ShahinaVerbascum L. (Scrophularieae, Scrophulariaceae) is a genus of approximately 360 species, which are classified into two recognised sections based on seed morphology, namely Bothrospermae and Aulacospermae. The greatest diversity of Verbascum species is found in Western Asia in the Bothrospermae section. In contrast, species belonging to the Aulacospermae section are found mainly in tropical Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Verbascum species are widely recognised for their socioeconomic value as ornamentals and traditional medicines. This genus, which includes species from the Arabian Peninsula, has a long and complicated taxonomic history due to the extreme similarity and hybridization among its species, which led to several incorrect identifications. Thus, this thesis aims to systematically review the Verbascum genus in the Arabian Peninsula and evaluate the conservation status of its species through taxonomic revision with morphological examinations, phylogenetic analysis, Red List assessment for each taxon, and in situ and ex situ gap analysis and conservation planning. The taxonomic revision recognises 16 Verbascum species in the Arabian Peninsula, including newly described and recorded species. It also provides valuable details for identifying and delimiting these species, a species identification key, typified names, new synonyms and combinations, comprehensive descriptions of each species, and ecological and geographical distribution details. The results of the phylogenetic analysis confirmed the monophyly of the genus Verbascum and revealed the phylogenetic relationship and species delimitation within the genus in the study area. In addition, 236 novel DNA sequences representing 16 species with four varieties of this genus were provided to the GenBank database. The phylogenetic analysis also strongly supports the reinstatement of the genus Rhabdotosperma into Verbascum. The Red List assessment results indicated that most of the Arabian Verbascum taxa are threatened with extinction; four taxa are critically endangered and four are endangered. In addition, five taxa are assessed as near threatened, and five are assessed as of least concern. The Red List assessment results identified that the main threats to these taxa are habitat disturbance and loss resulting from overgrazing, suburban and agricultural expansion, climatic changes, invasive species, recreational activities and tourism, and war and civil unrest caused by human intrusions and disturbances. The gap analysis results identified the in situ and ex situ conservation for 18 taxa of Arabian Verbascum, revealing that 70% of its populations occur outside protected areas (PAs) and 30% occur within PAs. In addition, the in situ gap analysis identified six complementary PAs and eight complementary sites within PAs for more active in situ conservation, four of which were located outside of PAs where Other Effective Conservation Measures (OECMs) could be implemented. The ex situ gap analysis revealed that not enough Arabian Verbascum taxa are conserved in international or national gene banks; thus, there is an urgent need for ex situ collection for all Verbascum taxa, focusing on hotspot areas outside PAs. Overall, the outcomes of this thesis have provided systematic knowledge and insight into the genus Verbascum, as well as recommendations that can aid wildlife conservation authorities on the Arabian Peninsula to meet their targets for conserving Verbascum diversity.13 0