ArchNet: Middle Ground / Middle East: Religious Sites in Urban Contexts

Omar ibn al-Khattab Mosque, Dawmat al-Jandal, Saudi Arabia. Photographer: David W. Tschanz. 1998

ArchNet is pleased to announce the video recordings of the Yale School of Architecture symposium "Middle Ground / Middle East: Religious Sites in Urban Contexts" in the Digital Library. Focused on the role of religious sites representing the three Abrahamic traditions in shaping contemporary urban environments in the Middle East, the symposium addressed questions such as:

how has the persistence of religious conviction forced us to broaden our understanding of urban space in relation to social identity? how do religious sites today engage contemporary concerns regarding urban regeneration, economic growth, and cultural heritage within the region?

Recognizing that sacred buildings and sites are often representative of division, the symposium instead emphasized the importance of religious sites as an expression of a layering of religious traditions, inter-faith relationships, and long practices of learning and tolerance.

Each of the five symposium sessions is available in high and low resolution and features talks by architects active in the design of sacred sites with responses by scholars. Follow the link:

http://archnet.org/search/results.jsp?search_id=1477861&scope=system&module_title=Digital+Library%3A+Files