چكيده به لاتين
The road that connects Isfahan to Kashan through Natanz is part of the main highway of Iran’s central plateau, which has linked Rey as the focal point of the routes throughout different historical periods to the southern regions via Qom and Kashan. The scope of this route, situated between the Rabat-e Sangi of Natanz and the Zizeh caravanserai, has a high potential for attracting tourists due to the routes that branch off the main road and various natural, cultural, and historical manifestations, which can help expand ecotourism activities in this area. The main issue of the research is the one-dimensional perspective on Historical Roads as mere communication and tourism infrastructures. This viewpoint, along with the lack of attention to management and environmental aspects and the lack of public awareness regarding the importance and role of these routes, has hindered effective conservation of Historical Roads. These deficiencies have resulted in the neglect of the concept of conserving Historical Roads and their mutual impact on the development of tourism, and consequently, the preservation of the environment, culture, society, and the economy in our country. The main hypothesis of the research is the positive impact of balanced ecotourism development on the Dynamic Conservation of the Historical Road. The manner in which the Historical Road can be conserved by relying on the cultural landscapes and the cultural, historical, and natural manifestations of the mentioned geographical area through the development of ecotourism is the most important question of the research. The primary aim of this study is to provide significant strategies for the Dynamic Conservation and management of the Historical Road in connection with the development of ecotourism activities. In this regard, previous studies have faced challenges and deficiencies, failing to provide a clear and comprehensive framework for the management and conservation of historical roads. Additionally, the lack of a systematic and comprehensive approach in defining the historical road corridor and the ambiguity in defining cultural, historical, and natural values, along with a limited focus on physical aspects and surrounding landscapes, have made it difficult to understand the deep relationships between the historical road and its surrounding environment, leading to a weak comprehension of these values. In contrast, the present research addresses previous shortcomings by defining a comprehensive framework and offers a step-by-step method for the conservation of historical roads. This study proposes an effective model for determining the conserved corridor by identifying and qualitatively analyzing the historical road and its related values. Furthermore, by establishing a precise framework, it reinterprets the cultural, historical, and natural manifestations of the corridor and enhances the richness of existing knowledge. In terms of targeting, the research is conducted in two parts and incorporates both fundamental and applied strategies. This research is qualitative in nature, and answering the research questions requires greater attention to interpretive aspects. Generally, this study falls under the category of case studies with a descriptive-analytical approach. The research tools include documents and records, direct observation, field notes, semi-structured interviews, GIS software, and qualitative analysis tools (Atlas.ti software). To analyze the information obtained in the fundamental part of the research, qualitative content analysis and an inductive reasoning strategy are employed, while in the applied part, the qualitative data analysis process is utilized through a case study approach and grounded theory methodology. One of the most important outcomes of this research was the explanation of a dynamic conservation framework for historical roads in Iran, which is considered an innovative theoretical and practical contribution to the conservation of the country’s cultural, historical, and natural heritage. This framework is designed to organize and improve the processes of conserving historical roads in Iran. In this regard, the principles and factors influencing the conservation of historical roads and cultural routes were first extracted through a comprehensive content analysis of previous research. This investigation included identifying and analyzing various studies related to the conservation of historical roads and cultural routes, which elaborated on different aspects of this field. Subsequently, these principles and factors were compared and aligned with dynamic conservation principles, which incorporate new and flexible approaches to the conservation of cultural heritage. The specific characteristics of historical roads in Iran were considered to achieve a more accurate understanding of conservation needs and to align with these principles. The conclusion of this process led to the creation of an innovative analytical framework that is not only grounded in background and empirical evidence but was specifically designed to address the challenges of conserving historical roads in Iran. This framework can serve as both a theoretical and practical guide for researchers and custodians of cultural, historical, and natural heritage and can contribute to the development of dynamic conservation-based approaches in this area. Also, this research serves as an innovative step by emphasizing that "the scope of influence and connections of the historical road does not have a definite boundary" and "the conservation of the organic system of historical roads requires networking and integrating historical routes"; it presents a practical method for defining the conservation corridor of the historical road. This research also emphasizes that "historical roads are not merely considered as physical pathways but are part of a complex social, cultural, and environmental system. For effective conservation of these roads, it is essential to address all these dimensions in addition to the physical aspects. In other words, conserving this system necessitates a deep understanding of the complex relationships between various elements"; it suggests that the gap in previous studies regarding a deep understanding of interactions within the historical road corridor can only be addressed by extracting concepts from the aforementioned data (data obtained from identifying and documenting the cultural, historical, and natural manifestations of the historical road corridor) and analyzing this data through grounded theory methodology. The results of this research indicate that conserving the dynamism of the historical road corridor requires a dynamic and comprehensive approach that conserves balance and flexibility between the historical road, its branching paths, and the cultural, historical, and natural manifestations of the corridor. Based on the findings of the thesis, the research hypothesis that "the balanced development of various ecotourism activities within the historical road corridor influences the dynamic conservation of the historical road" is confirmed. While this hypothesis may seem obvious at first glance, a closer examination revealed that the development of ecotourism within the historical road corridor might be limited to local ecotourism in specific points, overlooking how these specific locations are interconnected with each other and with the historical road. In this case, there may be a greater emphasis on local attractions and specific activities of each village, which, although it can contribute to economic prosperity, may neglect the cultural, historical, and natural aspects of the road and other values of the historical road corridor. This type of development, while it might contribute to conservation to some extent, is primarily focused on local development and specific points, and does not clearly position this development as an effective conservation strategy for the historical road. To complement this hypothesis, the research theory emphasizes the necessity and importance of designing thematic ecotourism routes based on the historical road and its branching paths to conserve the historical road and enhance connections and interactions within the historical road corridor. This theory illustrates the depth and complexity of the relationship between ecotourism development and the conservation of the historical road, specifically focusing on conserving the historical road and employing ecotourism as a tool to promote and conserve its values. Designing thematic ecotourism routes based on the historical road and its branching paths highlights the emphasis on the cultural, social, environmental aspects, and experiences these routes provide for tourists and the local community. Thus, in this type of ecotourism, the road is not merely presented as a simple infrastructure; rather, it is acknowledged as a vital, multifaceted cultural, social, historical, and economic element and a key factor in cultural, social, historical, economic, and environmental interactions.
