Integrity Evaluation in Conservation of Amir-chakhmagh Square in Yazd, Iran

The concept of integrity, as a factor which sustains values and significance of cultural heritage, is regarded as a key criterion in the process of urban heritage conservation and thus, the need for clarification of its factors has been emphasized in the international conventions, documents and scientific papers. Review and analysis of documents, conventions and theories concerning the role of integrity in urban heritage conservation show that in recent decades, the concept of integrity has attracted worldwide attention in the process of selection, assessment, and codification of the comprehensive conservation and management plan of urban heritage. This paper aims to recognize the aspects of integrity concept and tries to refine the prioritization of integrity aspects in the plans and measures of Amir-chakhmagh Square conservation project in Yazd, Iran. To achieve this aim, firstly the conventions and the scientific papers related to integrity are reviewed; consequently the effective aspects in measuring integrity have been selected in three main categories: ‘Structural-historical Integrity’, ‘Functional-social Integrity’, and ‘Visual-aesthetic Integrity’. Thereafter, the prioritizing of these aspects in the Amir-chakhmagh Square conservation is analyzed by quantitative research method and correlation strategy. The findings indicate that the ‘Functional-social Integrity’, ‘Structural-historical Integrity’ and ‘Visual-aesthetic Integrity’, in descending order, have the highest to the lowest contribution to explaining the concept of integrity in the measures taken for Amir-chakhmagh Square conservation project. This indicates the measures have been successful in terms of reviving the social vitality of the square and refurbing the historic buildings around the square by adaptive reuse. Finally, findings from quantitative measurements confirm the theoretical framework of the research which is provided by Jokilehto.