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"Mosques Iraq"
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UNESCO First Assessment Mission to Baghdad, 17-20 May 2003 Includes Annexes
Reports on United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization mission to Baghdad to review security of Iraqi cultural heritage and create strategy for further protection.
Government Document
A Long-Simmering Power Struggle Preceded Killings at an Iraqi Holy Shrine
A few feet from where an enraged mob shot and stabbed Sheik Abdel Majid al-Khoei, 50, head of the London-based philanthropic Khoei Foundation and son of the late Grand Ayatollah Abolqassem al-Khoei, a bearded man shouted to a foreign reporter that he should leave. ''There is murder everywhere,'' the man said. Mr. [Refaei], the mosque's custodian, was never popular in the highly charged atmosphere of Najaf religious politics and he was widely scorned for leaving the mosque unattended during the fighting for the city. Mr. Khoei wanted to bring him back to the mosque as an act of reconciliation, something that would certainly have established Mr. Khoei's authority in Najaf. When Mr. Khoei and Mr. Refaei arrived at the mosque on Thursday morning, however, they were met by a hostile crowd who soon cornered the two men in Mr. Refaei's office. Many in the crowd were calling for Mr. Refaei's death because of his collaboration with Mr. [Saddam Hussein]. One man pulled out a grenade but was quickly subdued, according to one witness.
Newspaper Article
The effects of material, structural characteristics, and construction technology on the identity of contemporary mosques in Erbil city
Mosques serve as a symbolic architectural feature in Islamic cities, representing their spiritual and cultural identity. Modern mosques incorporate new technologies in their structural systems and use innovative materials, addressing social and cultural needs while adapting to local economic conditions. Architectural identity refers to a unique style in building design and its social environment. Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region in Iraq, has experienced significant developments in various areas since 1991. This study aims to identify the architectural identity of contemporary mosques that were influenced by new technology and materials. The study compares traditional (≤2002) and contemporary (2003–2023) mosques in Erbil in terms of materials, structural systems, and implications for construction technology, durability, and maintenance. This is achieved via a qualitative analysis of traditional mosques’ spatial and mass composition throughout the ages, creating a basic framework for studying contemporary mosque architecture in Erbil (sample of 32 mosques classified into 4 groups). The results demonstrate that traditional buildings were based on brickwork, load-bearing walls, vaults, and domes that require mortar deterioration. Contemporary mosques use reinforced concrete frames (2–4 core columns) with brick, stone, marble, GRC panels, and synthetic claddings. Industrializing the building process changes implementation requirements and deterioration profiles (e.g., cladding separation, reinforcement corrosion, exterior ageing). In addition, the symbolic identity of Erbil’s traditional mosque was shaped by the influence of the traditional Erbil architecture, which remains deeply rooted in people’s memories. Hybrid Islamic, a typical rationalist, and new modern architecture mosque styles characterize contemporary mosques. The research concludes that traditional and modern mosques in Erbil feature distinct design elements, but some new contemporary mosques still retain a traditional identity. The conclusion highlights the need for two separate sets of operational and conservation guidelines tailored to the material-structural characteristics and projected life cycles.
Journal Article
Baghdad, A Sketch Program of Urgent Restorations for Important Iraqi Monuments
Identifies key Iraqi monuments to be preserved.
Government Document
State and Religion in Iraq: The Sufi Insurgency of the Former Baʿth Regime in Historical Context
Since the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime in 2003, Iraqi society has experienced profound crises in its transition from a strong centralized state under secular Baʿth Party authoritarianism to a new weak but still authoritarian federal state that is dominated by Shiʿi Islamist parties and plagued by factionalism, open sectarian competition, and conflict. A comprehensive scrutiny of the country's recent historical ruptures and continuities that pertain to the relations between the state and religion in particular is still a desideratum in contemporary Iraq studies. The extent to which thirty-five years of Baʿthi dictatorship transformed and lastingly shaped Iraq's diverse religious landscape is still not yet fully understood. Following the US-led invasion, the former regime was well-remembered for its repression and atrocities against almost all segments of society, but its image and the long-held notion and memory of it as “atheist” and “antireligious” are increasingly being challenged. Moreover, sectarian conflicts and violence since 2005 reveal an ongoing conflict over the interpretive sovereignty and ownership of famous religious sites of memory, such as shrines and mosques, between the various factions in Iraq. Beginning with the Iran–Iraq War in 1980, the Baʿth regime lavishly sponsored Sunni and Shiʿi shrines and advertised them in its religious war propaganda all over the country as sites of memory for the Iraqi and Arab nation. Many of these religious sites were surrounded by a certain confessional ambiguity and constitute memorials and meeting places for Sunnis and Shiʿis equally. After the fall of the regime, this ambiguity sparked sectarian competition over these sites since both communities often associated with one and the same shrine quite different memories of the same saintly figure, or they disagreed about who was buried there. Radical jihadist Salafis, in turn, generally rejected them as un-Islamic and even associated them with the old regime from 2014 onward.
Journal Article
Urban Morphology, Identity, Heritage, and Reconstruction Processes in Middle East Post-War Scenarios: The Case of Mosul Old City
The theme of architectural reconstruction has gained significant prominence within the discipline of architecture, intersecting with the increasing complexity of contemporary events, especially complex socio-political scenarios including deliberate city destruction, often referred to as urbicide. Preservation strategies that safeguard the memory and values embedded in places have become imperative to protect this urban tangible and intangible heritage. This study explores the application of architectural reconstruction in the post-war context of Mosul (Iraq) dealing mainly with the selection of traces, combining a strategy based half on physical evidence and half on the reconstruction of memory devices, and intertwining them into an operative procedure hopefully supporting urban reconstruction. The study’s results indicate that architectural interventions focused on revitalizing these symbolic spaces play a pivotal role in reconstituting the inhabitants’ habits and sense of community in Mosul. The projects, including the Souq and the Great Mosque and districts, successfully address various challenges, including the harmonious fusion of tradition and modernization, the delicate balance between memory and oblivion, and the careful negotiation between reconstruction and restoration.
Journal Article
Rethinking the Carter Doctrine and its Geopolitical Implications
This article combines insights from constructivism with historical analysis to argue that the US military engagement in the Gulf, beginning in the 1980s, was primarily driven by the changed roles of two actors: Iran after the Islamic Revolution and the United States attempting to regain its role as a global superpower following the Vietnam War. It argues that the year 1979 constitutes what constructivists deem a “critical juncture,” in which America’s response to three events—the Iranian Revolution/hostage crisis; the siege of Mecca’s Grand Mosque; and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan—helped to redefine the Gulf’s security architecture and made the region more insecure. It ends with a close examination of US participation in the Iran–Iraq War and the long-term implications of the Carter Doctrine’s changing logic.
Journal Article