Author(s)

ROSEANN “RAZAN” TARIQ SIJEENI

Abstract

This paper intends to address the emerging and conflicting issues of “conserving” and “representing” identities of cultural heritage in Historic Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, locally known as Al Balad. The goal is to provoke questions about what conservation represents in the context of Al Balad. It is a commentary on the way the festivals represent the culture of the place to the citizens, locals, and to the world. This project critically analyzes the different layers of realities in these representations through two mediums, the first is this text, and the second is short videos. For the purpose of grasping the complexities of representing and conserving cultural heritage, this paper defines three different notions of realities that are being addressed in Al Balad. The first is Surreality, the second is Reality and the third is Hyperreality.

Keywords

conservation, Al Balad, Historic Jeddah, representation, culture, heritage, identity, preservation, Islamic Heritage, reality, past