Integrity Evaluation in Historic Urban Areas: The Study of Sultan Amir Ahmad Neighborhood and its Surroundings in Kashan

The integrity of an urban area is closely connected with its perception as a coherent whole. Maintaining the tangible and intangible structures of this coherent whole guarantees integrity in a historic area. The concept and significance of integrity are amply noted as key components in conservation frameworks. For example, the Venice Charter states that “The sites of monuments must be the object of special care in order to safeguard their integrity.” Even so, no specific procedure has been developed to evaluate and quantify integrity in historic urban areas in Iran. Lack of integrity is among the main damages in historic urban areas. Against this background, the present study aims to shed light on major criteria for integrity evaluation in historical urban areas. For this purpose, the primary criteria were developed based on conservation frameworks. The initial model was put to test in an urban quarter comprising the Sultan Amir Ahmad neighborhood and its surroundings. Accordingly, the preliminary findings were applied to a real but damaged historic urban area, and the relevant criteria were cleared. The descriptive-analytical approach was adopted in this research and historical texts, documents, field studies, and historical photos were utilized for data collection. Moreover, the primary and almost-integrated condition of the studied historical urban area was reconstructed based on aerial images of 1956 as well as information on past land uses and people's lives and occupations. The initial model for integrity evaluation was created through the analysis of manuscripts, e.g., the Nairobi Recommendation (1976), the Washington Charter (1987), the Declaration of San Antonio (1996), and the Valletta Principles (2011). The findings reveal how the changes and transformations have affected urban macro patterns, urban fabric, buildings and their formal appearance, the relationship between an area and its surroundings, functions, spirit of place, place identity, traditional techniques, and cultural traditions of historic cities, and ultimately, the integrity of a historic urban area.