Overview

This book offers cultural governance as a theoretical framework for the exploration of 20th-century Iraqi political history, from the foundation of the Imperial Tribal School in Constantinople in 1892 until 1992, the end of the Iraq-Kuwait crisis. Case studies investigate the diversity of cultural governance as an analytical tool for historical heritage management, from the protection of antiquities and guardianship of holy shrines to the use of heritage for corporate legitimacy, the dissemination of conservation expertise throughout the Arab world, and management of heritage in times of conflict. This material explores negotiations of power and sovereignty between local caretakers, officials of the Mandate administration, members of the Iraqi and Arab intelligentsia, UNESCO consultants, and Iraqi state officials, among others, underlining the ideological pluralism of governance efforts throughout the period. This research offers a historical analysis of cultural projects and programs in Iraq to consider the sociopolitical conditions that shaped their governance. The material included this book is based on previously unpublished archives from the Ottoman Prime Ministry Archives, Middle East and North African Newspapers Collection, and UNESCO Archives, among other repositories. The work addresses a gap in scholarship which has neglected the role of cultural governance in heritage management and development in Iraq. The primary audience is academic scholars, historians, and educational institutions although the book will also be of interest to individuals in Iraq, in the Iraqi diaspora abroad, and those with a general interest in modern Middle East studies.

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9783031939860

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Dr Leeson is a cultural historian of the modern Middle East, focusing on the ways in which cultural heritage is leveraged for political legitimacy and the consolidation of identity. She is currently working as a Postdoctoral Researcher in Digital Humanities at the Centre for Cultural Heritage Technology (CCHT) in Venice, Italy. She received her PhD in Archaeology and History of Art (Cultural Heritage Management) from Koç University (2022) in Istanbul, Turkey. She also holds an MA in Heritage Management from the University of Kent (2019) and MA in Heritage Management from the Athens University of Economics and Business (2019). Her research highlights local and state-level projects of heritage management in the Ottoman Empire and Ottoman successor states throughout the 20th century, focusing on how these campaigns articulated the ambitions of foreign, imperial powers as well as the goals of the rising republics. She has also consulted on antiquities protection policy and institutional strategies to prevent the illicit trade in cultural goods, and has presented research at conferences in Canada, the United States, Vietnam, and Iraq.

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