In this summary, it discusses on the Syed Alattas Mansion and the Georgetown World Heritage Site.
What is so special about this Syed Alattas mansion? Who was Alattas and how did the mansion came to be built? How does restoration enhance the value of this dilapidated mansion? To look at the significance of the mansion, one has to imagine the historic area during the time when Alattas lived there.
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| Some of the community live around the Lebuh Armenian. |
As mentioned in History of the Syed Mohamad Alatas Mansion, the significance personality of Alattas and the pepper trade was focussed in the Lebuh Acheh –Lebuh Armenian. It was also written that every part of the streets was actually designated for various communities. As for the Bishop and Church streets, there were for Eurasian Catholics settlers, the China Street was for the Chinese traders, Chulier Street for the Indians, Armenian Street for the Armenians and the Acheen Street for the Achehnese-Malay community. Previously, the Armenian street was for the Indians that came from India as traders. They would have set up the trading premises at the Armenian near the junction with the Beach street, but around 1820s they moved away from the Armenian street as it was taken over by the Straits Chinese near the waterfront and the Malays slightly land.
The policy on conservation areas in George Town was introduced in the early 1970s. At this time only that conservation plan became part of the town plan. With the rapid urban change in the mid-1980s, it fostered a public conservation movement and an International Conference on Urban Conservation and Planning helped to raise awareness. Syed Al-Attas Mansion was the first major building restoration work undertaken by the State Government in 1993. Having done the restoration, it will reflect the historic residence tastes and lifestyle of Syed Mohamad Alattas, the wealthy man with ties to the community of Achenese pepper traders of his time. And with this also, it will attract the attention to some other demolitions and conservation projects in the city.
The mansion is categorised as the First Category of restoration. This means that if anything happened to the building, or part of the building, the exact replacement must be done. This shows how significance of the house to be preserved for future generation so that the history of the building and also the area of the building would not lose in the rapid development of the city.
The mansion is categorised as the First Category of restoration. This means that if anything happened to the building, or part of the building, the exact replacement must be done. This shows how significance of the house to be preserved for future generation so that the history of the building and also the area of the building would not lose in the rapid development of the city.
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| Georgetown - The World Heritage Site Map |
How does Georgetown be the World Heritage Site in 2008?
Generally this is about the understanding speciality that this town has that meet the UNESCO’s outstanding universal value (OUV). Having stated this, not only Georgetown met the requirement, but also Melaka has its own World Heritage Site. The two towns establish an exclusive architectural and cultural townscape where it cannot be seen anywhere else in East and Southeast Asia. Both cities have gone through the development and merging of diverse ethnic and cultural traditions, including Malay, European, Muslim, Indian and Chinese influences over the centuries. All this bring about a human and cultural tapestry that is conveyed in an affluent intangible heritage that includes languages, religious practices, cuisine, rituals and festivals. Due to these effects the towns were “awarded” with a specific multicultural heritage that is both tangible and intangible.
However here, we are stressing on Georgetown, generally and the Syed Alattas mansion specifically on the OUV.
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| Banner displaying the UNESCO Outstanding Universal Values of Penang World Heritage Site |
Outstanding Universal Value
The historical and cultural influences on George Town and Malacca showed the most complete remaining historic city centres on the Straits which contributed to a multi-cultural existing heritage developing from the trade routes from Great Britain and Europe through the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent and the Malay Archipelago to China. Both towns endure evidence to a living multi-cultural legacy and custom of Asia, where the many religions and cultures met and lived. They replicate the coming together of cultural elements from the Malay Archipelago, India and China with those of Europe, and created a unique architecture, culture and townscape. These towns fell into these following criteria:-
ii. to exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design;
- trading towns in East and Southeast Asia, exchanges of Malay, Chinese, and Indian cultures and three successive European colonial powers for almost 500 years
iii. to bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared;
- the great range of religious buildings of diverse beliefs, cultural residences, the many languages, worship and religious festivals, dances, costumes, art and music, food, and daily life.
iv. to be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history;
- shophouses and townhouses demonstrate many different types and stages of development of the building type, some originating in the Dutch or Portuguese periods
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UNESCO Outstanding Universal Value
