John Gurklis
Khan al-Umdan is the crown jewel of the UNESCO World Heritage site the Old City of Acre (Akko), Israel. The 18th century Ottoman building has been neglected for decades and is in serious need of repair. In 2018, developers purchased the building, sparking debate over the heritage-management of the site. This research, conducted with the Tel Akko Total Archaeology Project, concludes that framing the issue as a ‘wicked’ problem would assist stakeholders in building consensus.