An expatriate professor has gone to extraordinary lengths to revive heritage.

Anna Klingmann, architecture department chair and associate professor at Dar Al-Hekma University, has submitted a proposal for an architectural revival project of mass scale in Asir to the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA).

She said the initiative aims to raise public awareness, both within the Kingdom and abroad, to revive historical villages through the use of modern technology.

The program will include light and sound presentations and awareness events about the area’s treasures.

The program also includes a daily program for tourists inside these villages and live documentation of these events.

Klingmann visited numerous locations in the region, which she had read about in books, and put forth a proposal to implement the revival initiative, worth $257,000.

“The challenge here is to re-invent heritage by connecting past and future and by reconciling the heritage process with modern artistic intervention,” she said. “Our aim is to initiate local participation in this project.”

SCTA officials communicated with her during her visit to Asir, which included a tour of heritage buildings and villages in Sarat Obaidah.

Klingmann visited the area in an attempt to understand the mentality of the local community in order to garner interest in the project and foster motivation in preserving local heritage.

Saad Thaqafan, planning director at the SCTA, said the German professor showed a keen interest in local heritage.

“Klingmann met with local citizens during her visit to numerous villages,” he said.

“The initiative aims to rebuild the emotional and psychological connection with these areas among younger generations, since these sites have been deserted for 20 years,” she said.

Klingmann also called for the participation of specialists from France, Germany and the United States in the revival project.