Global Shrine Identifier (GSI) Standard

A Global Shrine Identifier (GSI) is a persistent, unique identifier assigned to a sacred heritage site within the GRACE registry. The GSI permanently identifies the site, independent of its name, custodian, certification status, or conservation condition.

The GSI applies to heritage shrines, temples, sacred groves, ancestral sites, and other sacred cultural heritage sites documented and registered within the GRACE Global Repository for Ancient Cultural Endeavours.

Any heritage site with demonstrable cultural, sacred, or ancestral significance may be nominated for a GSI. Eligibility is determined through the GRACE nomination and review process. GSI assignment is separate from certification.

Current format: GSI-YYYY-CC-NNNNNN

• GSI — prefix
• YYYY — year of assignment
• CC — ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code
• NNNNNN — six-digit sequential number

Note: The current format encodes geography (country code). This is preserved for backward compatibility. Future versions of the GSI standard may revise the syntax. Existing identifiers are never migrated.

Once assigned, a GSI is permanent. It is never removed from the GRACE registry. A GSI persists through:

• Name changes (canonical or alternative)
• Custodian or management transitions
• Jurisdictional or administrative changes
• Certification status changes (including loss of certification)
• Conservation condition changes
• Change of religious tradition or affiliation
• Site closure, destruction, or loss

A GSI that has been assigned to a heritage site is never reassigned to another site, even if the original site is destroyed, closed, or merged with another record. Retired GSIs are recorded in a permanent retired-codes registry.

The GSI string itself cannot be changed through ordinary application, API, or administrative operations. The data layer explicitly rejects any attempt to modify an existing GSI identifier. This is enforced at the database level, not merely at the UI level.

Verification establishes confidence in the identity and documentation of a site. A site may be nominated, identity-verified, documented, and registered without being certified. Verification status is recorded separately from the GSI identity.

GRACE Heritage Shrine Certification is a separate assessment of documented heritage significance and stewardship. Certification may be granted, renewed, suspended, or withdrawn. Loss of certification does not affect the GSI identity. The GSI persists independently of certification status.

When citing a GSI record, use the following format:

Do not refer to the GSI as a DOI. The GSI is a persistent identifier within the GRACE registry; it is not a Digital Object Identifier.

Each GSI resolves to exactly one canonical record at https://gracewisdom.org/gsi/[GSI]. This is the permanent URL for the site's Heritage Passport. QR codes on physical Heritage Shrine Tags point to this canonical URL.

When a heritage site changes its name, the canonical name in the GSI record is updated. Previous names are preserved as alternative/historical names. The GSI identifier does not change.

When custodianship of a heritage site transfers, the GSI record is updated with the new custodian information. The previous custodian is preserved in the audit trail. The GSI identifier does not change.

When administrative jurisdiction changes (e.g., boundary redrawn, new municipality), the GSI record is updated. The country code in the GSI string is preserved for backward compatibility. Future records in the new jurisdiction may receive new country codes.

If two GSI records are later determined to represent the same physical heritage site, the non-canonical record is marked as DUPLICATE with a reference to the canonical GSI. The duplicate GSI is retired and never reused. Both identifiers remain resolvable.

When two records are merged, the non-canonical record is marked as MERGED with a reference to the canonical GSI. The merged GSI is retired and never reused. Both identifiers remain resolvable. The page for the merged GSI states: “This record has been consolidated into [canonical GSI].”

If a heritage site is destroyed, lost, or no longer accessible, its GSI record is preserved with a status of DESTROYED or LOST. The record remains publicly resolvable as a historical archive. The GSI is never recycled.

Factual corrections to a GSI record are made through the standard review process. All corrections are logged in the audit trail with the actor, timestamp, previous value, and corrected value. The record version is incremented.

GSI records may reference external identifiers (Wikidata, national heritage registries, GeoNames, etc.) via the external_identifiers field. External identifiers are extensible and optional. Presence of an external identifier does not imply endorsement by the external organization.

This document defines GSI Global Standard v1.0 (Pre-release). Future versions may revise the identifier syntax, review process, or standard documentation. Existing GSI identifiers are never migrated to new syntax. Version history is maintained in the GRACE repository.