The thesis complements the authenticity discourse in heritage conservation with the perspective of laypeople and evaluates the pertinent methodology for the application of the normative concept in architectural heritage conservation. Based on the Nara Document on Authenticity, the Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention anchor the concept in the credibility and truthfulness of internal and external factors – referred to as information sources – that communicate a heritage site’s cultural values. Conversely, the author explored the truthfulness of messages conveyed to site users in a qualitative research based on interviews focused on two urban reference sites in Bahrain. These stand for different eras and conservation approaches: the ensemble of colonial-style governmental buildings at Bab al-Bahrain in Manama and the vernacular Siyadi Shops in the market area Suq al-Qaisariya in Muharraq, which were restored in the course of a World Heritage nomination. The interpretive content analysis compares how architects and non-architects, who represent laypeople in architectural conservation, perceived their authenticity and also traces cultural contingencies. The empirical data confirms pronounced differences in the way architects and non-architects perceive authenticity but only a few between representatives of so-called Western and Eastern cultures. Assessed against international heritage conservation standards, the site in Muharraq proved more authentic than the one in Manama. However, the meanings produced in the interaction between the sites and the interviewees proved be of limited truthfulness in both cases. A key finding is hence that a constructivist authenticity concept can serve no normative function when heritage conservation is considered a discipline at the service of historiography. While all potential factors of authenticity as per the Nara Document proved to be relevant, perceived material authenticity was found to be an outstanding reason why the site in Muharraq was appreciated more. Its rehabilitation was found to successfully reconcile essentialist and constructivist authenticity understandings by paying tribute both to the documentary value of the historic site and to the experiential needs of its users. The findings support the ICOMOS Venice Charter’s material-focused approach while confirming the relevance of a broadened authenticity understanding and highlighting the importance of integrated, participatory approaches to heritage conservation. By illustrating the importance of expertise when assessing the authenticity of architectural heritage, the findings at the same time flag limits to democratizing architectural conservation practice. The author recommends developing practice-oriented guidance for the assessment of authenticity of heritage sites based on further research and to add interpretation facilities to the list of factors of authenticity.