Skip to Main Content
 

Global Search Box

 
 
 
 

Files

File List


30370.pdf (27.3 MB)

ETD Abstract Container

Abstract Header

The Shrine that Consumed Its Town: The Role of Religion and Politics in Reshaping the Iraqi City of Najaf

Falah, Shubber M
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1523636269597604

Abstract Details

2018, PhD, University of Cincinnati, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Architecture.
This dissertation explores questions surrounding the preservation of traditional architecture and urban environments in unstable political situations. As a lens through which to explore this issue, the work examines the traditional architecture of the Old City of Najaf in Iraq, both before and after the Iraq War of 2003. Since the tenth century, Najaf has evolved around the burial site of Imam Ali, the founder of Shiism, which over the years has become a shrine for Shia Muslims. Najaf is an old Islamic traditional city, consisting of a congregational mosque (Ali’s shrine), bazaars, and zigzagging narrow alleyways that weave through the city’s traditional urban fabric. It is also a tourist attraction for Shia pilgrims from Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, India, and several Middle-Eastern countries. Local visitors usually arrive at and depart from the city on the same day, while international visitors, who are predominantly from Iran, stay for several days. To host them, developers and investors have built and continue to build accommodation near Ali’s shrine. As such, the urban development of the city hinges on the political relationship between Iraq and the pilgrims’ countries, particularly Iran. The economic growth of the city is unstable because it echoes the fragile political Iraqi-Iranian relationship. This is true not just for Najaf, but for three other similar Iraqi cities that host the bodies of Ali’s sons and grandsons. Since 2003, when the Iraq War ended and Saddam Hussein was forced from power, the political Iraqi-Iranian relationship has been improving. With the anti-Iranian policies of Saddam’s regime mitigated by his removal, millions of Iranian pilgrims began to cross the border into Iraq every year, with the aim of visiting the Shia “holy” shrines. Ever since, these shrines have been expanding at the expense of the cities, in order to accommodate this increase, and dozens of traditional and historic properties have been destroyed to make room for new high-rise buildings to host the pilgrims. Many scholars, institutions, and residents of these cities are appealing to conserve the old districts alongside the shrines. In Najaf, two international planning firms were hired, to address the dilemma that the city faces: how to accommodate the pilgrims whilst preserving the traditional architecture of the city. Several academic studies have also addressed the architecture and the urban environment of the city. At the time of writing this dissertation, however, enormous new hotels are still replacing the traditional properties in Najaf, appearing in every corner of the city and violating the building policies that were proposed by those planning firms, as well as adding more pressure on already insufficient infrastructures. This dissertation argues that preserving the traditional look of the city without considering the underlying reasons for the deterioration is an attempt to treat the symptoms and disregard the illness. Architecture is a reflection of larger contexts, such as politics, religion, or economy. Exploring the architectural and urban changes of Najaf alongside political-religious contexts would illuminate new potential visions to address the problems of Najaf as well as similar cases.
Rebecca Williamson, Ph.D. (Committee Chair)
Conrad C. Kickert, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Robert Haug, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Patrick Snadon, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
205 p.
Architecture
Traditional Architecture and Urban Environments; Najaf Old City; Imam Ali Shrine; Religion and Politics; Iraq and Iran; Iraq War of 2003

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Falah, S. M. (2018). The Shrine that Consumed Its Town: The Role of Religion and Politics in Reshaping the Iraqi City of Najaf [Doctoral dissertation, University of Cincinnati]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1523636269597604

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Falah, Shubber. The Shrine that Consumed Its Town: The Role of Religion and Politics in Reshaping the Iraqi City of Najaf. 2018. University of Cincinnati, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1523636269597604.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Falah, Shubber. "The Shrine that Consumed Its Town: The Role of Religion and Politics in Reshaping the Iraqi City of Najaf." Doctoral dissertation, University of Cincinnati, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1523636269597604

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ucin1523636269597604
895
© 2018, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by University of Cincinnati and OhioLINK.