IN-PERSON ISTANBUL HERITAGE(S)

Abstract

It may be challenging to comprehend how a group of wooden farmhouses in Sweden connects to a sandy-walled trading post in Qatar. However, both were constructed during an economic upturn around the 19th and 20th centuries. Both places symbolize prosperity and an expression of identity: one within decorated rooms, the other within a walled city. Houses on a farmstead and a small town in a port were built with what was available: in Sweden, wood with painted walls, in Qatar, coral and limestone with protective walls. Water is a central theme, one surrounded by rivers while the other is close to the coast, both offering shelter to their country’s people. The creative project will take the form of a high-production, quality, five-minute video series exploring the connection between the two UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Six narrative episodes on location with B-roll, each link the sites in terms of: History as Swedish and Qatar-based historians tell us what was happening at the time, Identity: Who lived at these sites?; Architectural experts paint a picture of the materials used to build at these sites and why they were used; Setting: Local geographers take us through the broader geographical area; Tradition: insights from those maintaining the farmhouses’ interiors in Sweden like Jonas Wallstrom and the Knutes family, in Qatar, those on the ground responsible for preserving the fort and, Heritage as representatives are interviewed about how both sites are managed to educate the public and ensure stability on the UNESCO Heritage list.