Many old buildings are protected by law as they symbolize the history of a nation

Many old buildings are protected by law as they symbolize the history of a nation


Many old buildings are protected by law as they symbolize the history of a nation. Some people believe that maintaining old buildings is a waste of money and they should be knowcked down to build the new ones.

What do you think? -
a.) Is it important to maintain old buildings?
b.) Should the history remain history while paving a way to developments?


Historical value of a nation resides in its historical monuments. I strongly feel that old buildings and historical monuments should be preserved. Any investment made in their preservation is a step towards preserving a nation’s heritage and definitely is not wastage.

Without having a glimpse of the past, we will be lost. These historical monuments bring a sense of community and belongingness in the citizens of a country which is very important for a nation to progress.

Saving old buildings indirectly helps to save the environment as well. This is because all you need is the material for its renovation rather than complete construction. Moreover, these historical monuments generate lot of tourism income which in return adds to a country’s GDP.

Apart from preserving the heritage of a country, historical preservation helps to preserve old methods of workmanship. Architects all over the world are still studying the techniques which were used in the construction of the Taj Mahal or the Sanchi Stupa. Also, it provides an opportunity for the creative use of the monuments. For example, lot of heritage properties have been converted into five star hotels and resorts. Many historical temples have been converted into museums and dharmshalas.

Can you imagine India without Taj Mahal, Qutub Minar, Charminar or the Mysore Palace? These historic monuments are not just defining India but are also an integral part of our identity.

At the same time, constructing roads, new buildings and other forms of infrastructure is also very important but by no means new infrastructure provides a replacement for the historic monuments.

Hence, Government should take every step in preserving historical monuments but the same should be done in such a way that the funds and resources are used most judiciously and the wastage is minimised. This will lead to a balanced growth and development of a historically preserved modern nation.
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    Discussion

  • RE: Many old buildings are protected by law as they symbolize the history of a nation -pintu (09/23/15)
  • historic building are defind culture of old king. We are seen its and learn a lot of things . Historic building made in typical structure and carbin . In this time use good technology we learn this. It is also source of income
  • RE: Many old buildings are protected by law as they symbolize the history of a nation -Teena Bhatia (08/27/14)
  • Historic preservation can be defined as the means to safeguard the appearance and existence of historic elements of a nation. The real value reflects in the historical element itself. The old historical buildings are remarkable as they have faced the tough times and have lasted till this time. Historical buildings are the reminders of the past and therefore, they should be preserved at any cost. Historic Preservation comprises four different elements. They are:

    • Preservation: It is the basic form of safeguarding the reminders of past. There is no need to make any changes in the structures. It retains the originality of old buildings and reflects the pure form of art. There is no need to spend money on the construction costs. Preserving the past is the direction of future.
    • Rehabilitation: It is the second element in Historic Preservation. It deals with fixing up the deteriorated old buildings. There is a certain cost involved in repairing and retaining the old structures. Rehabilitation is the only solution to fix the severe damages. However, it is done in a planned process so that the old buildings don’t lose its historic character.
    • Restoration: The third element of Historic Preservation is Restoration. It should not be confused with rehabilitation as restoration is an optional process in which the alterations or repair done in later years are eliminated. It is done in order to provide the original structure to the building. Only the old techniques and historic materials are used to build the missing features.
    • Reconstruction: Reconstruction is the last element of Historic Preservation. It is a rarely adopted process in which the copy of the old buildings is built again. Reconstruction process uses the traditional techniques but new materials in building the copy of structure.