YAR302-HERITAGE

CONSERVATION PLANNING

Presentation by

P.Srimathi
119011201044
M.Arch, PMIST.
Jaisalmer fort
(National)
 a li’l About the maintenance

It is one of the last living forts in the world. The people still live inside the fort. The
royal family, which once ruled over the fort, still lives in Jaisalmer (outside the fort)
although they still own all the royal palaces inside the fort walls. The sheer size of
the fort requires the efforts of more than one agency. Although there are numerous
agencies working at the fort, more organized efforts are needed to keep the fort
from falling apart. Of particular note is the fort wall, which is in poor condition, and
in danger of collapse due to the impact of humans and natural agents

The various agencies working in Jaisalmer are; ASI, World Monuments Fund,
INTACH, HUDCO, Jaisalmer in Jeopardy, Girdhar Smarak Trust, Jaisalmer Heritage
Trust, Jaisalmer municipality, and Jaisalmer Collectorate.
 About the city, Jaisalmer
Jaisalmer, also known as the golden city, is located in the district of Jaisalmer, rajasthan. It is
situated on the India-Pakistan border and is world famous for its fort. The Jaisalmer fort is
approximately two square mile in area and at an elevation of 751 feet above sea level. Now
there are developments other than the fort. The city of Jaisalmer has grown over time as a
tourist destination, although it is still a relatively small town with a total population of
approximately 60,000 people. Four hundred families live inside the fort, which once had
over 480 structures.
Jaisalmer was a Rajput kingdom,
under Bhati Rajput. The original
Bhati capital was at Ludhvara.
Jaisal abandoned Ludvara in the
mid-twelfth century, after a battle
destroyed the city. Cities in the
open desert were vulnerable to
enemies so he built his new fort
atop a triangular hill close to a
lake, approximately ten miles from
Ludhvara. He named the fort after
himself Jaisalmer fort was first
built of mud in A.D. 1156.
The triangular hill on which the fort stands is 250 feet high and 1500 feet at its widest
point. This fort was built for protection from invaders, to withstand a siege. It truly was
impregnable. This fort also served as a trading post on the east-west trading route. It
was an entry point for caravans coming from western Muslim kingdoms into the
eastern Hindu (later Mughal) empire. Trade flourished and city (fort and the walled
city) grew as a major trading post

Architecture
Plan, Fort Wall and Building Types

Jaisalmer is called the golden city for the yellow brown sandstone used in all the
construction. It is locally available and still used as a building material. The fort itself
was built as a royal residence and for the people who served the royal family.

There was no major planning pattern and the city evolved over time. There are layers
of centuries of construction practices. The entrance to the fort leads directly to a city
square, where royal complex is situated. This was developed for the ease of trade.
surrounded by palaces and merchant mansions. It is here that all the trade happened
in front of the king.
The architectural practices are responsive to the harsh climate, the desert sun and
the cold winter winds. The streets are narrow and the buildings are tall (Figure 1.4).
These proportions are common in vernacular practices to take advantage of mutual
shading. In addition, the houses are deep and narrow, with private courtyards for
outdoor living. The people who constructed the city acknowledged the importance
of keeping stone dry for its structural stability. Hence, the fort wall was constructed
in layers to drain all the water outside of the fort.

The fort and its premises were built for the royal family and people serving them. The
settlement included royal palaces, houses for the royal household, and haveli for
trading merchants. The king’s palace known as raja ka mahal was constructed at the
highest point surrounded by the royal complex. There is a cluster of royal palaces along
with haveli. In the center is the city square.
 The Fort Wall
The fort wall, also constructed out of sandstone, was designed to protect the people
against invaders as well as weather. It has approximately 150 bastions and multiple layers
of construction. This 30 feet high wall is built completely with dry masonry. The stones sit
on top of each other by sheer gravity.

The wall was built in layers, physically as well as chronologically. The fort wall is
composed of five different elements and was incrementally constructed over the
centuries. The original fort built in 1156 was constructed out of mud. The original wall
was built in mud, repaired several times, and eventually constructed in stone. The
major construction of the wall happened during 1578-1624 A.D.
The different layers of wall
outwards to inwards are the
pitching, earth slope, outer
wall, mori, and inner wall.
• The pitching is the lower
most section of the fort wall,
very small in height as
compared to other sections. It
was built as a retaining wall to
hold the earth slope in place.
• The outer wall runs
parallel to the inner fort wall.
It is a secondary wall, lower in
height than the inner wall.
• The section between outer
wall and inner wall is called
the mori. This is a pathway
with varying sections, ten to
fifteen feet wide and originally
designed to provide for the
sanitation and drainage
requirements of the fort.
 Buildings
The fort was constructed for the royal family and others serving them. Later the merchants
came and started living inside the fort. Hence, the buildings can be divided into palaces,
houses, havelis, and temples.

Character defining features for houses and haveli are jharokha, thresholds, otla
(platform connecting house to street), materials, and carvings. Another important
feature of these houses is the courtyard. The houses do not connect the interior with
the street. The only connection to street is an otla, an entrance door and the rest of the
walls are solid. This monotony is broken by carvings and jharoka at upper levels of the
house. The interiors have small square courtyards. If the house is bigger, there will be
multiple courtyards providing different level of privacy to the residents. The courtyards
are small to combat the extreme desert climate
 Haveli is a much bigger house with multiple courtyards, and carving that is more
intricate. The level of details in carving increased with the wealth of the merchant.
There are currently six havelis inside the fort

Contemporary construction within the fort does have western influences but the
use of local stone has somewhat contributed to maintaining the character of the
place. This practice also helped the stone masons to survive. There are also some
examples where cement is used for new construction.
 Natural Threats
As previously mentioned, the fort sits on a porous rock over sand. Adding to this is the
fact that sandstone itself is vulnerable to water seepage. Several structures have
collapsed owing to an excess of water inside the fort. Seismic instability is another
natural cause adding to the deterioration of the structures.
Over the years with changes in climate, rainfall in the desert has increased fivefold.
This has contributed greatly to instability of the structures. Of the 490 structures inside
the fort, approximately 80 have collapsed due to excess rains and seepage of water in
the foundation

The fort wall is suffering equally from increased rains. A record rainfall in 1999 resulted
in a lot of damage. More recently, another 40 feet section of wall collapsed in the 2011
monsoon. This section is still not repaired; with another monsoon season setting in, it
is a great concern.25 The poor state of this section of the fort wall is not only regretful,
but it is also a threat to human life
 Human Threats
Human activities are an equal threat to the stability of the fort. Although Jaisalmer fort
was built several centuries ago, and human habits and lifestyles have changed, very
few alterations were made to the fort. The systems designed long ago are still
functioning, but with increased loads. Not only the population inside the fort increased
but also the large number of tourists adds to this extra load on the systems.

developed for tourism, which in turn called for signage and other methods to promote
business. Today there are huge boards on buildings, which disrupt the visual integrity
of the whole city. The fort has also been subject to inappropriate repair work using
cement mortar. Cement mortar is harder than stone. When the mortar dries, it fit so
tightly that the stone cracked, so more cement was applied, which led to a vicious
cycle. Cement mortar also needs paint, compromising the yellow golden harmony of
the fort.
Drainage inside the fort is the biggest issue of
all. It poses the highest threat to the stability
of the structure. With the changes in lifestyle
and in an effort to meet with demands of
increasing number of tourists, the sources of
water supply inside the fort were
supplemented. Apart from wells inside the
fort, pipelines were laid to provide running
water. The extra water was supplied into the
fort for growing needs, but no attempts were
made for its proper exit. Originally, all
drainage was directed outside of the fort, but
the new system drained directly into the rock
on which fort stands

There are so many issues, which need urgent attention, but the sheer scale of fort
makes it impossible. There are presently at least ten agencies working together to
restore the glory of Jaisalmer, but a more planned effort is required.
 The Archaeological Survey of India

The ASI project at Jaisalmer fort is the restoration of the fort walls. Jaisalmer is one of
the last living forts in the world. The fort is facing major issues due to heavy rainfall
and excessive water. The foundation of the wall is unstable due to this extra water. ASI
along with World Monuments Fund and other local government bodies is conserving
the fort wall.

Indian National Trust for Arts and Cultural

Heritage (INTACH)

INTACH’s first involvement with Jaisalmer was in 1995, which was more about
advocacy. There is music and craft unique to the fort. INTACH was working to save
the arts. It later got involved in real conservation of the built heritage. INTACH’s
various conservation projects include restoration of Queen’s palace, king’s palace
and the streetscape project. The streetscape project was initiated to save the
landscape of the fort apart from the important structures
Port Arthur Historic Site
(International)
 A brief introduction
In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, England implemented a policy under which
convicted criminals were sent to Australia to serve out their sentences and be reformed
through work. Prisons, support communities, and small industries were established in
Australia to punish, employ, and equip the incoming convict population. Port Arthur was
to be the center of this new convict system, organized in the remote area now known as
the Tasman Peninsula.

Now in a ruined state, Port Arthur is o f

great significance to contemporary
Australians, particularly Tasmanians.
The site is one of the best-known
symbols of the era of "convictism,"
which played such a formative role in
Australia's history and identity.
Port Arthur has a temperate and wet climate. The area's plentiful rain once supported
lush vegetation, including forests dominated by various species of native eucalypt.
Today, much of this native vegetation has been cleared and replaced by grass and
European deciduous trees.

History of Settlement and Use

Port Arthur is a complex and rich heritage site. Dozens of buildings occupy the site,
some in ruins, some restored as museums, others adapted for reuse in a variety of
ways. Some structures date from the convict period (1830-77), and others represent
later eras. The site is also rich in archaeological resources.
 The history
PRE-CONVICT PERIOD
Dutch navigator Abel Tasman led the first European expedition to Tasmania in 1642 and
named the island Van Diemens Land after his sponsor, the governor-general of the
Dutch East India Company

CONVICT PERIOD AND CONVICTISM

Under the British Empire , the convict system was formally initiated through the
Transportation Act of 1717, which stated that the "labour of criminals in the colonies
would benefit the nation. " Convicts were once auctioned to British colonists in North
America , but the America n Revolution put an end to this practice.
In 1803, Governor Kin g o f New South Wales sent a fleet, which included convicts , to
establish the firs t British settlement in Van Diemen' s Land (Tasmania).

The number of transported convicts to Van Diemen' s Land decreased over the years , and
the practice finally ceased in 1853. Three years later , Van Diemens Land was renamed
Tasmania . Although probation station s on the island gradually were shuttered as the last
convicts passed through them , Po t Arthur and its outstations continue d to operate for
some time. The settlement evolved into a welfare establishment , housing paupers,
invalids , and the mentally ill , as evidence d by the construction of a Paupers ' Mess in
1864.
THE COMMUNITY, OR "CARNARVON," PERIOD

After the end of convictism in Tasmania , the physical remains of the convict system
were often referred to as "blots on the landscape"

In 1913, the Tasmanian Tourist Association submitted the first proposal to the
Tasmanian State government for the management of the ruins at the site. Later that
year, the government drafted the first set of recommendations for the site's
management , including physical repairs to the church , and began to implement the
following year. This move marked the first effort of the Tasmanian State government to
actively preserve a historic site.

The Management Context

State-level factor s are perhaps the most important policy contexts shaping the
management of Port Arthur. The firs t la w in Tasmania to address the protection of
heritage was the Scenery Preservation Act o f 1915.
In 1995, the Tasmanian Parliament passed the state's first comprehensive cultural
heritage legislation , the Historic Cultural Heritage Act.
 Port Arthur Historic Site
Facilities and Services
One of the most striking aspects of the Port Arthur site is the beauty of the surrounding
landscape and its contrast to the horror of the events and penal industrial system of
nineteenth-century convictism .

visitors , the serenity of the landscape makes it difficult to imagine the brutality of the
convict period. For others , that same serenity actually helps them reflect on the
site's past. Buildings such as the penitentiary and the Separate Prison where the
convict experience is immediately felt have the most potential for conveying the
historic experience.
 MAJOR BUILDINGS AT PORT ARTHUR
The Asylum

The asylum (1868) house d the mentally ill , older convicts , and ex-convicts some
transported from locations other than Port Arthur. Fr m 1895 to 1973 it was home to
the Carnarvon Town Board (lat r know n as the Tasman Municipal Council). Today it
house s a small museum and a cafeteria.

The Church

The church, constructed in 1836-37, was gutted by a fire in 1884 that left only it s
walls standing. The ruins of the church are perhaps the most recognizable symbol
of Port Arthur today.

Civil Officers Row

The structures remaining along this row housed civilian officials at Port Arthur.
The Commandant's House

The Commandant' s House (1833) was home to the highest-ranking official at Port
Arthur.

The Hospital

The hospital, which housed up to eighty patients, was opened in 1842. I t serve d
convicts and soldiers in separate wards . The structure was severely damaged by
bushfires in the 1890s, leaving only the ruined facade and northwest wing standing
today.

The Military Compound

Soldiers lived, ate, and engaged in recreation at the military compound. It

included a parade ground for military exercises. The compound also housed civilian
officers and military families .
Paupers' Mess

Ex-convict s who were too old or infirm to work gathered at the Paupers ' Mess, built in
1864. Only the walls of the building remain today.

The Penitentiary

This substantial four-story structure was built between 1842 an d 1844 and originally
served as a granary and flour mill for about a decade. In 1857, it was converted to a
penitentiary an d held prisoners until the closure of the Port Arthur convict
settlement. It housed 136 convicts on its first two floors in separate cells and 348 in
dormitory-style accommodations on the fourth floor. The third floor housed a library,
mess, and Catholic chapel. Today several of its main wall sections have been stabi lized
to prevent collapse, and it is visually the most dominant structure in the Mason Cove
area.

Point Puer

Only scattered ruins remain of the former boys' prison at Point Puer (1834), located
across the harbor from Mason Cove . Point Puer was created to separate boys ages
eighteen and under from older prisoners. The boys' prison ceased operations in 1849.
 Values Associated with
Port Arthur Historic Site
F forty-seven years Port Arthur was a convict site, but it has been a historic site for more
than a hundred years . Thus, some articulation of the site's values is traceable back to the
1870s.
HISTORICAL ARTICULATION OF VALUES

Immediately following the convict period, the site's values were seen to be both
utilitarian (the establishment of a new township and village, a productive rural landscape
rising from the remnants of the convict landscape) and social (symbolic).
Aesthetic values , too, were clearly perceived, motivating visits from outsiders even
before the penal colony was shut down in 1877. Visitor s were drawn to the romantic
aspect of the building ruins, the gardened English landscaping , and the remoteness of
the Tasman Peninsula.
Historic values relating to convictism were articulated selectively, until more-rigorous,
professional efforts were made to document them in the 1979-86 Port Arthur
Conservation and Development Project (PACDP).

Scientific Values, Above and below-ground historical and maritime resources have
"exceptional research potential" to yield insight into the convict experience; this extends
to the cultural landscape itself, individual structures, and archival collections.
World Heritage Values PA is one of eight sites included in the thematic nomination
that has been drafted (but not forwarded) for Australian Convict Sites.