Conservation of Organic Materials in Heritage Sites and Collections
26 April – 16 May 2011

Partners

• ICCROM (International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property)
• The Government of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates:
• Sharjah Department of Information and Culture
• Sharjah Museums Department
• American University of Sharjah
• University of Sharjah
• ALECSO (Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization)
• National Council of Tourism and Antiquities, United Arab Emirates

Duration: 3 weeks (26 April – 16 May 2011)

Place: Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

Participants
Twenty-three heritage professionals from different academic and professional backgrounds, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Sudan, Syria, United Arab Emirates,and Yemen.

Aim
The overall aim was to build the capacity of conservation professionals in the Arab Region in the field of cultural heritage conservation, with a specific focus on organic materials, including wood and timber constructions, paper, manuscripts and textiles, found in built heritage and museum collections.

Activities
This interactive course consisted of both theoretical and practical components which took place in the classroom, laboratory, applied workshops, and work carried out on cultural heritage sites which complemented the work carried out in the classroom.

Main achievements
Participants acquired a critical approach to the conservation organic materials in heritage sites and museum collections in Arab countries by familiarizing themselves with:

• mechanical and chemical characteristics of organic materials and their deterioration processes;
• appropriate treatments of dampness and infestation and recognize priorities for appropriate conservation and treatment interventions;
• promoting discussion among specialists in the fields of organic materials;

In addition, the participants discovered preventive conservation methods through:

• understanding and evaluating the conditions within the different types of organic materials in historic buildings and museum collections;
• developing strategies for achieving appropriate conservation conditions; and exploring tools of risk assessment;

Member States represented: Australia, Brazil, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Sudan, Sweden, Syria, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Yemen.

updated on: 29 January, 2013