Conservation of dry-stone structures: a practical study on the Al-Makhrour’s watchtowers

A practical conservation project successfully revitalized twenty dry-stone watchtowers within the UNESCO World Heritage Site 'Palestine: Land of Olives and Vines, Cultural Landscape of Southern Jerusalem.' The study documented fifty watchtowers out of approximately 259 across 13 square kilometers, addressing their deteriorating condition that contributed to the site's inclusion on UNESCO's in-danger list. The project employed a multi-disciplinary approach, including field surveys, literature reviews, and assessments of previous conservation efforts, adhering to international guidelines for documentation, reversibility, authenticity, distinguishability, adaptive reuse, cultural landscape, and human dimension. This work highlights the importance of systematic conservation practices in preserving such unique cultural landscapes.

AbuOwda, Z., Aslan, Z., & Rjoub, A. (2023). Conservation of dry-stone structures: a practical study on the Al-Makhrour’s watchtowers. Landscape History, 44(1), 121–142. https://doi.org/10.1080/01433768.2023.2196127