2013 will be a great year for GHF Projects, with lots of progress planned.  In brief:

Mirador

At Mirador, Guatemala, conservation will focus on consolidating the Popol Vuh frieze and constructing a shelter over it for protection in addition to stabilizing and conserving three other ancient structures at the site.  Community development efforts, meanwhile, will continue with support of the literacy education program for the project workmen, funding for site guards and implementation of a water collection and storage system.

Photo: The Popol Vuh frieze at Mirador – (C) FARES

Chavin de Huantar

At Chavin de Huantar, Peru, further conservation will be performed on the extensive subterranean canal system as well as urgently needed conservation of Building A.  Support will also be provided to the tour guide training program for local community members.

Photo: Building C at Chavin de Huantar – (C) John Rick

Ciudad Perdida

At Ciudad Perdida, Colombia, the goal is to stabilize 10 more structures, begin conservation at the coastal site of Pueblito, build a health center for the indigenous community, and construct a second bridge – over the Rio Molino – to increase safety for the local population and tourists.

Photo: The terraces at Ciudad Perdida – (C) GHF / Stefaan Poortman

Banteay Chhmar

At Banteay Chhmar, Cambodia, preparation of a site management plan and master conservation plan will continue, and GHF will also assist in drafting development and tourism plans.  The multi-year conservation project focused on the southeast sector bas relief wall is continuing, with the major work expected to be completed this year.

Photo: A face tower at Banteay Chhmar – (C) GHF / John Sanday

Pingyao

At Pingyao, China, conservation of five traditional courtyard houses will begin with support provided through the Preservation Incentive Fund, phase 3 of the Fanjia Jie Master Plan will be prepared, and tour-guide training will be provided to community members.

Photo: The circuit wall at Pingyao – (C) GHF / Jeff Morgan

Gobekli Tepe

At Göbekli Tepe, Turkey, a temporary shelter will be installed and a security fence will be completed, while conservation efforts will continue on the monolithic pillars and stone walls.  A conservation laboratory will also be established and conservation materials evaluated.  Work will also begin on a community development plan in close collaboration with the local villages.

Photo: The security fence being constructed at Göbekli Tepe – (C) Klaus Schmidt

Finally, three new projects will be started this year:

Haiti

At Citadel Henry in Haiti, with support from the World Bank, GHF plans to work with the Haitian Institute for the Preservation of the National Heritage (ISPAN) to conduct training and capacity-building for key site managers, conservation leaders and the Haitian government’s technical and work teams within the National Historic Park. In the long-term, we hope to help build a team of future conservation leaders to assist in local rebuilding efforts and help preserve the beauty of Haiti’s stunning cultural heritage sites.

Photo: View of the Citadel Henry – (C) GHF/ Jeff Morgan

Guizhou

At Guizhou, China, GHF is partnering with UNESCO Beijing, the Guizhou Administration of Cultural Heritage (GACH), the Guizhou Province Cultural Heritage Conservation Center (GCHCC), the China Social Entrepreneur Foundation (You-Cheng), and Tongji and Beijing Universities to promote economic development in Guizhou through heritage conservation within the local ethnic minority communities.  Proper conservation will not only protect the local vernacular architecture from modern encroachment but potentially also encourage sustainable tourism, as the ethnic minority villages have been included on the Chinese tentative list for World Heritage Site nomination.

Photo: Covered bridge in Dali village – (C) Guizhou Administration of Cultural Heritage (GACH)

Romania

Finally, the Carpathian Villages Preservation Project in Romania will assist in emergency repairs at many of these villages, documentation and education around establishment of proper legal protocols for conservation of the villages, and promotion of local traditional building crafts.  To that end, GHF has formed a strategic partnership with the Anglo-Romanian Trust for Traditional Architecture (ARTTA) to execute repairs on many of the village structures and monitor their continued conservation.  To encourage the long-term economic stability and sustainability of the villages, our intention is to set up new tile- and brick kilns, using the expertise of the few existing Roma craftsmen with this knowledge.  If the project can successfully establish new kilns in the villages, this will create the supply of tiles needed to repair roofs in the traditional way, encourage tourism to the restored structures, and provide employment within the villages to help the local economy.

Photo: Fortified church in the village or Archita, Romania – (C) ARTTA / William Blacker