places, and objects. UNESCO Guidelines even suggest that ‘attributes such as spirit and feeling
do not lend themselves easily to practical applications of the conditions of authenticity’
(UNESCO 2013, 22).
Consequently, my objective is to illustrate how the notion of the spirit of place could be
articulated to clarify its contribution to the cultural significance of a historic place; its connection
to a community's definition of heritage value; and its framing of heritage conservation and
development goals in that place. I ground this inquiry in the historic town of Bhaktapur, Nepal.