Sustainable Heritage Preservation in Luxor: A Multi-Layered Heritage Preservation Project through Digitisation and Heritage Policy Development

<p>Climate change indiscriminately damages both tangible and intangible heritage. The global lack of adequate protection for cultural heritage exacerbates this issue due to the absence of long-term strategies. This research advocates for actionable research to inform policymakers on cultural heritage management issues. The paper presents the ‘Luxor Living Lab’ a live project on sustainable heritage preservation in Luxor a partnership between the University of Lincoln (UK) and Ain Shams University (Egypt), funded by the British Council, offers insights into cultural heritage preservation and digital management in Luxor, Egypt. Despite Luxor's diverse and layered heritage, including Pharaonic, Roman, Coptic Christian, and early Islamic sites, the focus on Pharaonic heritage neglects other narratives, echoing international concerns. To address this, Luxor Living Lab prioritises digital preservation and community-centric policy development in multi?layered cultural heritage management. Through site analysis and qualitative surveys with the local community, this paper offers recommendations which will inform sustainable cultural heritage management and policy development. These recommendations transcend Luxor’s context, offering globally relevant strategies aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG3, SDG4, SDG5, SDG 11, SDG 16, and SDG 17. </p>