The Impacts of Urban Interventions on Collective Memory of Local Community of Historic Bazaar of Mashhad

This study looks forward to find a way for understanding the concept of ‘collective memory’ in the historical urban fabrics. In this research, identification of the concept of collective memory, and also, the preferable qualities in relation with historical bazaar as a public realm and the impact of urban interventions about that, have been studied. The historical urban fabric of Mashhad is deteriorating due to the many damages suffered over time and for various reasons, such as urban interventions, and it needs the conservation and planning using principles in order to be restored and maintain its tangible and intangible values. Much of the historical bazaar of Mashhad, as a monument and original structure and inseparable from the identity and the core of the formation of this city, and the communications of its inhabitants, have been eliminated due to changes and transformations resulting from inappropriate interventions in terms of existing values. Thus, only a small fraction of it still remains named as “carpet bazaar”. The studies have shown that factors influencing the sense of place stability and sense of belongingness in the audience of a historical structure is collective memory, which, through addition of meaning to the place, promote the spatial identity, attachment of individuals to the environment, and create a platform for interactions of a society with the structure, meaning, activity and occurrences of the place. The values associated with collective memory, which are considered among the essential factors in the presence of a local community in a place, are being obliterated and abandoned due to inappropriate actions and neglecting the values of the remains of the historical bazaar of Mashhad. In summary, the memories of the local community of Mashhad’s carpet bazaar was obtained using open and semi-open interviews regarding four areas of structure, meaning, activity and event (as components of the place and the factors that form and maintain collective memory), and review of the sustainability level of their related indicators has shown the negative impacts of urban interventions on this monument. These impacts have been analysed and some strategies have been proposed to prevent further damage of interventions that results in elimination of collective memory, in order to achieve the research objectives and answer the research questions. Finally, this study proposes some suggestions for the future actions related to the conservation of the historical fabric's values such as the collective memory. To do this, implementing actions like presenting protective plans and preparing executive actions for the sustainable development of the area and conserving the existing values in the historical fabric of Mashhad and its old bazaar are essential. Furthermore, introducing a guideline for identifying, preserving and restoring the values inherent in historical fabrics is a very important issue.