Protecting Cultural Memory Through Local Archives in Palestine
- DateApril 21, 2026
- CountryPalestine
- Project coordinatorRiwaq - Centre for Architectural Conservation
- CollaboratorBritish Council's Cultural Protection Fund
A living archive of Palestinian heritage
Since 1991, Riwaq- Centre for Architectural Conservation has protected heritage across Palestine. Underpinned by values of cultural continuity, community empowerment and identity preservation, the Centre records and restores architectural sites throughout the West Bank and Gaza. At its base in Al Bireh, the Centre has developed an archive of 147,221 photographs and documents (maps, negatives, audio-visuals) that record Palestine’s built and natural landscapes, as well as the people who live in, create, and celebrate them.
Expressing the Palestinian point of view, [the archive] shows Palestinian cultural heritage as a source of identity and belonging, and highlights Palestinians and their contribution to the production of knowledge of cultural heritage in general and in Palestine in particular.
Heritage as risk
In a context that undermines and disavows Palestinian identity, Riwaq’s collection testifies to shared histories of Palestinian culture. Since Israel’s full-scale invasion of Gaza and the escalation of violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, Palestinian heritage has become even more vulnerable to confiscation and destruction. The Riwaq archive is no exception. Saving the material became especially crucial given the widespread destruction of built heritage in Gaza: the maps, plans, and images held in the Riwaq collection offer precious evidence of what has been lost – and could guide Palestinian efforts to rebuild in the future.
This project helped us see the losses we, as Palestinians, have faced. We feel the grief of losing documents that show our history, our lives, and our identity, as well as our ties to the land and to each other. We have found photos of people living, working, building, laughing, and being together, as well as moments of Palestinian history and struggle.
Safeguarding the collection
In light of the risk to the archive, Riwaq developed a plan to safeguard the collection with support from Cultural Emergency Response (CER), the British Council's Cultural Protection Fund, and generous contributors, and in collaboration with organisations across Palestine. Riwaq set up a dedicated team to sort, file, and digitise the material, as well as to upgrade software to make the digital collection more secure. While this was happening, the physical space of the archive was improved, with new systems added to protect the Centre from dangers like humidity, fire, and theft. The team designed new equipment to hold the collection, such as filing cabinets, storage boxes and folders, and archival shelving.
Riwaq has collaborated and taken advice and lessons learnt from partnering organisations who have worked on their archives, those include the Palestinian Museum, Khazaen, and the Arab Image Foundation. Their expertise and support have helped us since the beginning of the project.
Access, use, & cultural continuity
The Riwaq archive is now organised and secure. School students, families, architects, and researchers will be able to discover and rediscover histories of Palestinian built heritage, and to learn how this heritage has shaped social and communal life across the country. Having created a legal framework to ensure that the archive can be shared safely, the Riwaq team is working hard to ensure that the digitised materials are available on their website. People all over the world will then be able to explore a collection that underscores the profound ties of the Palestinian people to their architecture, their land, and each other.
The team is now building on the legacy of this project, and is focused on capacity building within their team, developing a community library programme, and continuing to categorise the collection. They are also developing an evacuation plan that, if needed, will help to safeguard the archive from future emergencies.
Looking back at the archive and seeing the gems we have found, we know that it is the biggest dream: to try to save what can be saved, to try to hold on to what might be lost, to try to build in times of destruction.
Subscribe to our newsletter
