Participatory Heritage Documentation: Low-cost Photogrammetry of Decayed Historic Buildings in the Medina of Tunis

Low-cost, community-led photogrammetry emerges as a viable tool for documenting and assessing the condition of decayed historic buildings in resource-limited settings. A collaborative effort between local civil society and academic partners successfully applied image-based photogrammetry to Fondok El Henna, an abandoned caravanserai in the UNESCO-listed Medina of Tunis, identifying key agents of deterioration such as water ingress, biological growth, and human-induced damage. This modular approach, combining field data collection by locally trained teams with remote processing by experts, demonstrated that affordable photogrammetry can produce accurate 3D models while lowering technical barriers and enhancing local conservation capacity. The methodology not only supports heritage preservation but also serves as a scalable model for documenting neglected sites globally, particularly in contexts lacking conventional resources or institutional support.

Cruz, M., & Albuerne, A. (2025). Participatory Heritage Documentation: Low-cost Photogrammetry of Decayed Historic Buildings in the Medina of Tunis. The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, XLVIII-M-9-2025, 375–382. https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-archives-xlviii-m-9-2025-375-2025