The nineteenth 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 explores the development of the Safavid empire, which reached its apex in the capital city of Isfahan. The city as a global metropolis is characterized by its economic growth, cultural efflorescence, and social diversity. Throughout this lesson we will explore how it was that the city evolved, as well as how it embodied ideas about the ruler, the state, and society, in addition to cultivating an economic upsurge. What is the story that the city is telling us about the Safavid elite and its relationship to this multi-ethnic, multi-confessional population? Citation Necipoglu, Gulru and David Roxburgh. “Isfahan under Shah Abbas.” Lesson 13/22 presentation developed for the Aga Khan Trust for Culture Education Programme, 2019.

*The twentieth lesson (part 1 of 2) 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 explores the architectural and social formation of Safavid Isfahan that was shaped by the political and economic aims of Shah ʿAbbas and his successors and the sociopolitical reorganization shared in the alliances and competitions among vested groups. This included a royal monopoly in the silk trade, and their Armenian and European facilitators, as well as the “capitalist” ventures of the new mercantile communities that engaged in long‐distance trade. Citation Necipoglu, Gulru and David Roxburgh. “International Trade and the King’s Silk Monopoly Part One.” Lesson 20A/22 presentation developed for the Aga Khan Trust for Culture Education Programme, 2019.*

The twentieth lesson (part 2 of 2) 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 explores the architectural and social formation of Safavid Isfahan that was shaped by the political and economic aims of Shah ʿAbbas and his successors and the sociopolitical reorganization shared in the alliances and competitions among vested groups. This included a royal monopoly in the silk trade, and their Armenian and European facilitators, as well as the “capitalist” ventures of the new mercantile communities that engaged in long‐distance trade. Citation Necipoglu, Gulru and David Roxburgh. “International Trade and the King’s Silk Monopoly Part Two.” Lesson 20B/22 presentation developed for the Aga Khan Trust for Culture Education Programme, 2019.

The eighth 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 addresses the ways in which the city of Cairo changed over time in response to new conditions. How did shifting political and economic realities influence architecture and patronage? How did the failure to convert the Sunni population to Isma’ili Shi’ism impact Fatimid architecture? How was it that the city of Cairo and Fustat were yoked together as a locus for court ceremony?

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 ninth 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 addresses the artistic and architectural developments from 1050 to 1250 will be discussed with a major focus on the mosque and hospital complex in Divriği, north central Anatolia. Citation Necipoglu, Gulru and David Roxburgh. “The Mosque and Hospital Complex of Divrigi.” Lesson 9/22 presentation developed for the Aga Khan Trust for Culture Education Programme, 2019.

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.