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Restoring Suakin’s Historical Legacy: ICT Applications and Insights from Malacca’s Best Practices

Maha Mohani Fahmi, Yahaya Ahmad, Helena Hashim

Abstract


Preservation of heritage sites is vital for safeguarding collective identity and transmitting cultural memory to future generations. Ancient cities, with their architectural heritage and intangible traditions, offer critical insights into humanity’s social, economic, and technological evolution. Their remains reflect the interaction of historical factors, including cultural values, political strategies, economic conditions, and societal practices. Conserving these sites sustains cultural narratives, fosters community identity, and supports local economies through heritage tourism. Suakin, once a prominent trade gateway on the East African coast, declined after the establishment of Port Sudan (1905–1909). Despite several conservation attempts, resource constraints hindered success. This study proposes a digital conservation strategy to revive Suakin’s historical legacy using Informatics-based technologies, with Malacca serving as a reference model. By creating a detailed virtual replica and knowledge base, the approach avoids intrusive reconstruction while facilitating restoration, cultural engagement, and economic development.


Keywords


Heritage Informatics, Tourism, Ancient Cities, Architecture, Sudan, Suakin, Digital Technologies.

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References


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Informatics Studies:  ISSN: 2583-8954 (Online), 2320-530X (Print)