Journal article · 2026
Re-Establishing the Sacredness of Somapura Mahavihara: A New Contextual Heritage Management of a Buddhist Sacred Land
Mohammad Habib Reza and Athena Rahman
Esempi di Architettura 3 February 2026
Abstract
An article in Esempi di Architettura, the International Journal of Architecture and Engineering, in an issue edited by Olimpia Niglio and Rana P. B. Singh. According to its abstract, the paper repositions Somapura Mahavihara, a seventh-century Buddhist monastery inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985, within the discourse of sacred heritage management, ‘proposing a New Contextualist framework to restore its spiritual aura and amplify its global appeal’.
Drawing on Buddhist pilgrimage centres including Bodh Gaya, Lumbini and Bagan, it argues for ‘an integrated management strategy that harmonizes conservation of tangible and intangible heritage, community participation, and sustainable tourism innovation’, in which sacred tourism is treated as both an economic engine and a means of cultural and spiritual renewal.
This summary is based on the published abstract; the full text has not been reviewed for this platform.
Editorial summary Summary written by the editors
Cite this record
Reza, Mohammad Habib, and Athena Rahman. 2026. “Re-Establishing the Sacredness of Somapura Mahavihara: A New Contextual Heritage Management of a Buddhist Sacred Land.” Esempi di Architettura 13 (2): 195–207. https://doi.org/10.53136/97912218247662.
Reza, M. H., & Rahman, A. (2026, February 3). Re-Establishing the Sacredness of Somapura Mahavihara: A New Contextual Heritage Management of a Buddhist Sacred Land. Esempi di Architettura, 13(2), 195–207. https://doi.org/10.53136/97912218247662
@article{reza-rahman-2026-somapura,
author = {Reza, Mohammad Habib and Rahman, Athena},
title = {{Re-Establishing the Sacredness of Somapura Mahavihara: A New Contextual Heritage Management of a Buddhist Sacred Land}},
journal = {Esempi di Architettura},
volume = {13},
number = {2},
pages = {195--207},
publisher = {Aracne},
address = {Rome},
year = {2026},
month = {feb},
doi = {10.53136/97912218247662},
url = {https://www.aracneeditrice.eu/it/pubblicazioni/estratti/10.53136/97912218247662-re-establishing-the-sacredness-of-somapura-mahavihara-a-new-contextual-heritage-management-of-a-buddhist-sacred-land-estratto.html}
} TY - JOUR AU - Reza, Mohammad Habib AU - Rahman, Athena TI - Re-Establishing the Sacredness of Somapura Mahavihara: A New Contextual Heritage Management of a Buddhist Sacred Land JO - Esempi di Architettura PY - 2026 DA - 2026/02/03/ PB - Aracne CY - Rome VL - 13 IS - 2 SP - 195 EP - 207 DO - 10.53136/97912218247662 UR - https://www.aracneeditrice.eu/it/pubblicazioni/estratti/10.53136/97912218247662-re-establishing-the-sacredness-of-somapura-mahavihara-a-new-contextual-heritage-management-of-a-buddhist-sacred-land-estratto.html KW - heritage management KW - sacred heritage KW - Somapura Mahavihara KW - tourism KW - Buddhist architecture ID - reza-rahman-2026-somapura ER -
In-text: (Reza and Rahman 2026) Download RIS