The uncomfortable truths of adaptive reuse
Faith-to-Faith Conversion of Religious Heritage Buildings in Conflict Environments
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 5701310 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Reyhan Sabri (0000-0003-1543-7451, University of Sharjah, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 31 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 160-177 |
| Publication date | 2025-02-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Journal of Heritage Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1352-7258 • E-ISSN: 1470-3610 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/13527258.2024.2406000 |
| OpenAlex | W4402692782 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 47 |
Despite being regarded as a sustainable conservation strategy for safeguarding the material fabric of disused built heritage, adaptive reuse is an ethically problematic practice when considering faith-to-faith conversions of defunct religious buildings in politically complex environments. This paper aims to explore the scope of the spatial transformations and symbolic representations involved in such conversions, as well as their ramifications on the pre-existing memory and identity of the place. Theoretical explorations are illustrated with empirical data from fieldwork on church-to-mosque conversions in northern Cyprus. The paper argues that faith-to-faith adaptive heritage reuse undoubtedly aids in the protection of the architectural fabric of disused structures from ruination and preserves their original architectural expressions. However, the practice becomes contentious when former users continue to claim rights to the religious site, as the theological principles and power politics shaping the conversion can potentially ignore their religious values and material culture. But more importantly, when sacred and secular merges and nationalist representations emerge on the religious heritage sites, it radically transforms the identity and pre-existing memory of the landscape, aggravating the tension regarding the former and current users’ rights to these sites
Adaptive Reuse · Archaeology · Cultural heritage · Environmental ethics · Epistemology · Faith · Political science · Religious conflict · Reuse · Sociology · Archaeological Research and Protection · Cultural Heritage Management and Preservation · Engineering · History · Law · Philosophy · Religious Tourism and Spaces
Uses of Heritage
Between the Sacred and Secular
A Future Beyond the Impasse? Exploring Post-Conflict Religious Heritage
From an Inconsequential Legacy to National Heritage
Approaching Religious Space
The Past in Pieces
Cyprus and its Places of Desire
Islam and Public Controversy in Europe
Ethno-Religious Coexistence and Plurality in Cyprus under British Rule (1878—1960)
The building as a palimpsest
The living religious heritage of displaced communities
Resisting Institutional Power
When the Cemetery Becomes Political
Some Reflections on Decolonizing Archaeology in a Fragmented World
Intersecting Religioscapes and Antagonistic Tolerance
The Siting of Churches and Mosques as an Indicator of Christian–Muslim Relations
The Future of Defunct Religious Buildings
Notes on Post‐Secular Society
Spatial Succession of Sacred Space in Chicago
The nature of flag power
Flying Flags at Weddings in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Religion as heritage, religion as belief
Religion and nationalism
Once a Church, Always a Church? Sacred Spaces and Their Implications for Peacebuilding in Cyprus
Heritagization of religious sites
Greek nationalism, architectural narratives, and a gymnasium that wasn't
The politics and ethical dilemmas of architectural conservation in an unrecognised state
Dreams of an Iconic Mosque
Converted Structures
Heritage Churches as Post-Christian Sacred Spaces
The Politics of Religious Heritage
| Unique citing works | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1,5 |
| Citation span | 2024 - 2026 (3) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 3 |