University of Pennsylvania ScholarlyCommons Theses (Historic Preservation) Graduate Program in Historic Preservation 2018 Heritage Preservation in War: Proactive and Reactive Approaches Applied to the Old City in Sana’a, Yemen Xochilt Del Rosal Armenta University of Pennsylvania Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.upenn.edu/hp_theses Part of the Historic Preservation and Conservation Commons Armenta, Xochilt Del Rosal, "Heritage Preservation in War: Proactive and Reactive Approaches Applied to the Old City in Sana’a, Yemen" (2018). Theses (Historic Preservation). 641. https://repository.upenn.edu/hp_theses/641 Suggested Citation: Armenta, Xochilt (2018). Heritage Preservation in War: Proactive and reactive approaches applied to the Old City in Sana’a, Yemen (Masters Thesis). University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. This paper is posted at ScholarlyCommons. https://repository.upenn.edu/hp_theses/641 For more information, please contact
[email protected]. Heritage Preservation in War: Proactive and Reactive Approaches Applied to the Old City in Sana’a, Yemen Abstract The inherent nature of heritage as a symbol of a community’s identity – whether it be dependent on national, ethnic, or religious affiliations – has made it a frequent target during warfare despite heritage destruction being a war crime according to the 1954 Hague Convention. During war, the institutions responsible for preserving heritage spaces are often unable to offer support, making it the community’s responsibility to uphold preservation methods which can be secondary to the pressing issues of safety. The protection of heritage amid war depends on numerous variables ranging from community knowledge to the available resources and capacity to enforce preservation strategies. The Old itC y in Sana’a, Yemen – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – has recently been at the center of a foreign-backed civil war.