The introduction to a 22 lesson course on Monuments of Islamic Architecture developed by Professors Gulru Necipoglu and David Roxburgh at the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture at Harvard University. This lesson covers: the introduction, course overview, course structure, general remarks on the historiography of Islamic Architecture, periodization of the course and lessons.

The twenty-second lesson in a 22 lesson course on Monuments of Islamic Architecture developed by Professors Gulru Necipoglu and David Roxburgh at the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture at Harvard University. Throughout the eighteenth, nineteenth, and early twentieth century, European powers invaded and colonized large portions of the Islamic world, reshaping both the physical boundaries of these territories and the structures of authority. What this period brought with it are two interrelated trends in terms of art historical study: Europe’s and America’s discovery of Islamic art and its impact in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in what came to be known as Orientalist art. This is also a period when the first books on Islamic art and museum collections are formed. In the arts of the Islamic world, there was an integration of European ideas and techniques. More broadly, the increase in globalization and the subversion of Islamic lands under Western hegemony led to the growth of nationalism and revivalism. Citation Necipoglu, Gulru and David Roxburgh. “The Legacies of Islamic Architecture in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries.” Lesson 22/22 presentation developed for the Aga Khan Trust for Culture Education Programme, 2019.

The Aga Khan Academies (AKA) work to develop curriculum units that are relevant to their students in Bangladesh, India, Kenya and Mozambique. This resource has been developed as part of a collaborative project between the Academies and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) to develop curriculum units for use in the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma Programmes. This IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) interdisciplinary unit encourages MYP1 students to reflect on the invisible capacity of parks and gardens to unite people by contributing to the building and development of communities and enhancing their psychological, social and physical health. The unit is centred on developing interdisciplinary learning outcomes and subject-specific learning objectives in the Arts (Drama, Music, Visual Arts), English language acquisition (ELA) and/or English language and literature (ELL).

These 28 case studies analyse projects that have been short-listed for or received the Aga Khan Award for Architecture. The five sets of case studies are of projects that are related respectively to education, housing, public urban spaces/ environments, public buildings and natural and built environments. The case studies may be used as part of wider studies of human life, behaviour and actions, and their impacts, across time, place and space, as well as to reflect on ways in which the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development may be realised. Through the case studies, learners are encouraged to connect theoretical learning to the on-the-ground realities and form a deep understanding of their own context and its interconnectedness with the rest of the world. Learners may be thus inspired and empowered, as they engage with real-world projects, to become ethical leaders who achieve positive and sustainable change that can transform our world for the better.

The purpose of this lecture is to outline the significant place educational institutions have had throughout the history of the the Aga Khan Award for Architecture. Potential explanations for this are articulated and the various and diverse reasons why certain schools were chosen as recipients frame the lecture. From the very first school awarded (the Pondok Pesantren Pabelan in Indonesia), the design and construction of educational facilities within Muslim communities around the world has been a key theme throughout the history of the Award.

Housing for all has been an ongoing concern of every government all over the world. Yet, the fact that there are more than a billion people who are homeless and another billion-plus people who are living in squatter settlements in our cities and towns challenges us, the architects, planners, engineers and social welfare activists to focus our attention on this key human issue. The formal and informal sectors in the housing process are integral to rapid urban and regional development. The Workshop on Community Architecture and Affordable Housing supported by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture and conducted by Rizvi College of Architecture, Mumbai, India focused on the key issue of housing for all by selecting Indore, the financial hub of Madhya Pradesh, India for a detailed and critical inquiry into the policies, programmes and projects related to housing. Two projects were identified for the study, namely Aranya by Prof. Balkrishna Doshi and Slum Networking in Indore by Engineer Himanshu Parikh, which have been awarded the prestigious Aga Khan Award for Architecture (AKAA) awards. This publication is a result of the Workshop.

The Aga Khan Historic Cities Programme repertoire of site conservation and socio-economic redevelopment activities follows a trajectory whereby traditional skills, that are directly related to the rehabilitation and conservation of historic monuments, are revived or, if needed, reintroduced. The impact that conservation and restoration of cultural heritage sites has on the development of skills of members of the local community can be profound. It is for that reason that the Programme seeks to undertake projects whose scope of economic benefits far exceeds the short-term creation of employment in the sphere of restoration and related traditional crafts. Indeed, it is with an eye on the direct and indirect employment opportunities that arise from project implementation and future operation of historical sites, that individuals are trained in a wide scale of professions – or in skills upgrading of those already engaged in a particular profession – through Technical and Vocational Education and Training.

This lecture focuses on: the evolution of the Islamic world, through historical chronological outlines highlighting locational characteristics and organisational features; the principal architectural and urban elements of the Islamic city in different contexts, including ‘high’ and ‘peripheral’ traditional settlements; the urban context of the traditional settlements of Lahore in Pakistan and Harat Al Mudayrib in Oman. ArCHIAM. “The Great Urban Centres of the Islamic World” Part one of 10 presentations developed for the Aga Khan Trust for Culture Education Programme, 2018.

In the autumn semester of 2019, the Department of Architectural Engineering & Environmental Design in AASTMT’s Faculty of Engineering & Technology organized two courses on integrated urban rehabilitation. Both courses drew extensively upon the experience and methodology of the Aga Khan Historic Cities Programme. The metropolis of Cairo is often characterized by its capability to juxtapose tradition, historicism and modernity, to concoct a blend unique that is this sprawling city; home to over 20 million inhabitants. Nevertheless, questions pertaining to urban design are inherent, and Cairo remains a consistent hot-bed for opportunities toward urban growth and development of the built environment, toward the advancement and sustainability of communities that inhabit this city. The course aimed to understand the different theories, principles, processes, and urban design procedures and enhance students’ practical urban revitalization skills. The course examined the ways that existing cities have spread and been redeveloped. The course included a rich collection of ideas and projects that urban designers were generating internationally, notably the Aga Khan Historic Cities Programme.

This lecture focuses on: methods of interventions on existing buildings and urban spaces for the enhancement of their historic significance; relevance of architectural qualities and urban characteristics of Islamic built environments to contemporary design; restoration and adaptive reuse of key buildings in Iran, Qatar and Oman; local architectural characteristics in comparison to high end Islamic architecture.

This lecture focuses on: the relevance of trade and interconnections in the development of cosmopolitan cities; urban structures and architectural features of ‘sea port’ and ‘land port’ cities in different contexts; engagement with the sea and desert frontiers of Islam, through examples of ‘high’ and ‘peripheral’ Islamic architectural contexts; the historical background of Zanzibar (Tanzania), Timbuktu (Mali), Muscat and Sinaw (Oman).

This lecture focuses on: one of the crucial building types that evolved under Islam, the mosque; the collegiate mosque, madrasa; the variety of architectural adaptations of the mosque to local contexts through the presentation of examples from both ‘high’ and ‘peripheral’ Islamic traditions aiming at providing a comprehensive understanding of such significant heritage and living architecture; and the historical background, architectural details and regeneration projects of Masjid al-Ayn in Oman, Aqsunqur Mosque (blue mosque) in Cairo and Amiriya Madrasa in Yemen.

This lecture focuses ont: defensive architecture in the Islamic world and its key elements and importance; the features and characteristics of military architecture in different countries of the Islamic world; and their historical background and importance through rehabilitation projects including the citadels of Aleppo in Syria, Herat in Afghanistan and Bahla in Oman.

This lecture focuses on: the aesthetic qualities of Islamic architectural expression, and the factors that shaped their course and development; variations in their evolution throughout the different regions of the Islamic world; the impact of these qualities on spatial perception; the differences, similarities and peculiarities of regional paradigms in comparison to high end Islamic architecture, through two mosques as case studies: Quwwat al-Islam in India and Masjid al-’Ali in Oman.

This lecture focuses on: adaptive reuse of historic buildings and sites as a response to the human need for continuity and change in the built environment; definitions, rationale and relevance, methodological approach, design operations and tools for adaptive reuse. This theoretical framework is illustrated through examples from both grand and vernacular Islamic architectural traditions, with the aim to showcase a wide spectrum of strategies and operations; the strategic role adaptive reuse plays in the rehabilitation of both settlements and individual buildings, illustrated by the conversion of the Shigar Fort in Pakistan and Bait as-Sail in Oman, by the Aga Khan Historic Cities Programme (AKHCP) and ArCHIAM respectively.

This lecture focuses on: contemporary debates surrounding the issues of conservation and restoration in the Islamic world, with a focus on the approach to integrated urban rehabilitation of the Aga Khan Historic Cities Programme (AKHCP). the importance of ensuring the continuity of the key characteristics of Islamic architectural and urban forms and, most importantly, of human agency; the regeneration of Darb al-Ahmar district in Old Cairo, Egypt (AKHCP) and the Heritage Management Plan for Salalah’s old town districts in Oman (ArCHIAM), so as to provide comparative understanding of different approaches to sustainable, heritage-led revitalisation of Islamic heritage in distinct geographical and cultural contexts.

This lecture focuses on: planning, design and implementation of contemporary urban provisions within historic settings as a necessary pathway towards their sensitive transition into the future; urban regeneration programmes as tools for integrated heritage preservation, infrastructural and socio-economic development. These are illustrated through examples from different geographical and cultural contexts, with the aim of offering a comparative understanding of intervention strategies and their impact in both ‘high’ and ‘peripheral’ Islamic traditional settings; examples of urban regeneration and infrastructural development, through the presentation of the Tabiat Pedestrian Bridge, Iran (AKAA), and the Misfat al-Abriyin Adaptive Reuse, Oman (ArCHIAM). Citation ArCHIAM. “Lecture 10: Adaptive Reuse and Infrastructure.” Part ten of 10 presentations developed for the Aga Khan Trust for Culture Education Programme, 2018.

This lecture focuses on: the importance of building a resilient community through collaborative rehabilitation efforts; participatory design methods and strategies applied to restoration and adaptive reuse initiatives; the necessity of addressing community needs and anticipating future aspirations, particularly in vernacular contexts of the Islamic world; a community rehabilitation project, the Earthen Architecture Programme in Mali, as well as an initiative for the establishment of a community cooperative in Misfat al-Abriyin, Oman.

This sourcebook is a companion to the Architecture and Urban Development of the Deccan Sultanates lecture series prepared by ArCHIAM, on behalf of the Education Programme of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture. Consisting of eight lectures, the series begins with an overview of the evolution of Indo-Islamic architecture and the manner in which the newly introduced social, cultural, and political ideals and religious beliefs and the existing Indian traditions interacted and shaped the architectural style. The architecture of the Deccan Sultanates is covered in the next three lectures, with special attention given to the fortified city of Bijapur. This book includes a collection of additional content supporting the lectures organised in chapters, and provides expanded bibliography and sources on them to add to the knowledge delivered through the lectures. It also provides the reader with relevant additional visual material. It can be used by researchers on its own or in combination with the lecture material, which can be accessed on Archnet.

The first lesson in a 22 lesson course on Monuments of Islamic Architecture developed by Professors Gulru Necipoglu and David Roxburgh at the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture at Harvard University. This lesson covers the early Ummayad Dynasty and the Dome of the Rock. Citation Necipoglu, Gulru and David Roxburgh. “The Dome of the Rock.” Lesson 1/22 presentation developed for the Aga Khan Trust for Culture Education Programme, 2019.