Evaluation of Historic Buildings Reparation in Tripoli, Libya

Abstract

Historic buildings are regarded as a national heritage for their countries and therefore worthy of conservation. In an attempt to conserve them, various forms of intervention have been made over time. These interventions often lead to a problem when performed without adherence to architectural conservation principles. This paper aims to examine the compliance of reparations of historic buildings in Tripoli, Libya to architectural conservation principles and to discuss the main reasons that led to contradictions to these principles. The research demonstrated that about 40% of the observed works comply with architectural conservation principles. The main reasons that led to the contradictions are lack of knowledge and lack of proper repair materials in the local market in addition to security and safety. The findings have practical significance and provide lessons learned from successful and nonsuccessful experiences that should be passed into future repair works to avoid a repetition of mistakes.