Abstract:
This thesis is a thesis of the conservation history of Gondarian historic buildings in Ethiopia’s north-western cityof Gondar. The history and challenges pertaining to the conservation of these medieval architectural heritages, able it their importance in heritage studies, have never been examined by researchers in the field. The prime objective of this research is, therefore, to investigate and document a history and challenges of conservation practices carried out on these historic buildings from 1930s to 2013 as well as heritage values of these historic buildings. Based mainly on primary and secondary sources of data such as archival documents pertaining the issues and interviews with key informants, the thesis indicated that modern conservation practices on Gondarian historic buildings began during the 1930s and assumed, since then, national and international dimensions. The thesis found out that the registration of these historic buildings by the UNESCO in 1979 and bilateral cooperation between Ethiopia and European countries brought more actors and financial resources from abroad for the conservation of these historic buildings. There are both natural and human factors affecting the sustainable conservation of Gondarian historic buildings. As the assessment reveals out, the values of these architectural heritages are so diverse that includes economic, socio-cultural, artistic, architectural and political values. One major finding of the thesis indicates that some of the conservation projects on Gondarian historic buildings were implemented without due consideration of internationally accepted conservation theories, principles and guidelines. Therefore, national institutions responsible for the conservation of these heritages and the associated stakeholders should organize and implement conservation practices in a way that considers the history, values and challenges on these heritages as well as in the light of the scientific principles and methods of conservation.
