An Analytical Approach to the Role of Townscape in Promoting Collective Memories: the Case of Khorramshahr in Iran-Iraq War

Townscape has valuable features that can engender the formation of collective memories. Some of the memories of the historical period of Iran-Iraq War are related to the townscape of Khorramshahr and preserving those memories plays a significant role in the representation of that period. The present study chiefly aims to provide a model for strengthening the collective memories of war in Khorramshahr's townscape. The aim was to find a response to the question of how the townscape of this city played a role in promoting and reinforcing the collective memories of war in Khorramshahr. This descriptive-analytic study offered a new classification of townscape, based on the five senses, and using the documents of the memories of war in Khorramshahr, tabulated them. Then, the criteria were analyzed and evaluated and four effective criteria, as the finding of the research, in the promotion of collective memories in that historical period were identified to be collective beliefs, past functions, signs, and ceremonies, and finally visual signs and past functions were determined as the most important factors of the townscape.