The Making of Modern Muslim Selves through Architecture

This collection explores alternative definitions of bounded identities, focusing on the post-19th century dissolution of large empires into nation-states in the Islamic world. It examines how architecture mediates the creation and deployment of boundaries and boundedness, and how it can be considered a means to understand the relationship between flows and boundaries and their implications for defining the modern self.

Format: Hardback
Length: 390 pages
Publication date: 28 December 2023
Publisher: Intellect Books

This collection aims to explore alternative definitions of bounded identities, paving the way for innovative approaches to spatial and architectural forms. Drawing from the post-19th-century dissolution of vast, heterogeneous empires into a mosaic of nation-states in the Islamic world, it centers around the emergence of a new sense of boundaries. This newfound sense of boundaries has not only shaped our imagination and construction of modern citizenship but also reimagined the relationships between nations, citizenship, cities, and architecture.

By bringing critical perspectives to our understanding of the interplay between accumulated flows and evolving concepts of boundaries in predominantly Muslim societies and within the global Muslim diaspora, this book seeks to investigate how architecture mediates the creation and deployment of boundaries and boundedness. It delves into how architecture can be considered a tool for understanding the relationship between flows and boundaries, with implications for defining the modern self.

The essays in this volume collectively address how the construction of self is primarily a spatial event, unfolding within the critical nexus of power, knowledge, and space. Contributors explore how architecture mediates the formation and implementation of boundaries and boundedness, shedding light on how architecture can be perceived as a means to comprehend the interplay between flows and boundaries and their significance in shaping our contemporary identities.

This collection is part of the Critical Studies in Architecture of the Middle East series, dedicated to advancing scholarship in the field of architecture and its intersections with politics, culture, and society. By exploring alternative definitions of bounded identities and their architectural manifestations, this book contributes to the ongoing dialogue about the role of architecture in shaping the modern world.

Weight: 986g
Dimension: 176 x 238 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781789388510