A Conceptual Framework for Understanding the Railway Heritage Values Case Study: Trans-Iranian Railway

During the years, the concept of value had been directly related to changes in biological and social structures. The concept of cultural heritage values has evolved through understanding the modern era and the conflict between the industrial revolution values and historical values and also society development. The construction of railways, is one of the symbols of technology and modernity in various societies and known as a tool for expanding and transferring the goods, man and their ideas which has reminded of a wide range of legacies for future generations. Recognizing and analyzing the values of the railway heritage requires a precise examination in evolution of the concept of values, which is explained by an integrated and comprehensive understanding of its cultural dignity. Due to the variety of works and concepts in railway heritage field, the concept of this type of heritage for a better understanding of the boundaries of cultural dignity is a little difficult. According to previous studies in the field of world heritage, industrial heritage and railways, this paper tries to recognize and explain the conceptual framework for railway heritage and present a practical and comprehensive guide for expressing the different aspects of railway values. Trans-Iranian Railway which is registered as the UNESCO World Heritage s tentative list, contains outstanding universal values not only as a communication path, but also as a significant part from memory of a committed engineering and a masterpiece of construction. Trans-Iranian Railway is the name of the first modern Iranian railway of Iran which connects northern part of the country to the south. This railway was operated in 1937. Therefore, this paper examines the concept of the Railway World Heritage and its related concepts through trans-Iranian railway as a case study

Keywords:

industrial heritage , railway heritage , Tran-Iranian Railway , heritage values