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Hussein, N., 2023. The role of Qur’anic calligraphy and epigraphy in contemporary mosque architecture: cases from Australia, Slovenia, and the United Kingdom. PhD, Nottingham Trent University.
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Abstract
This research investigates the enduring presence of Qur'anic epigraphy in contemporary mosque architecture, particularly within Western contexts, despite evident departure from traditional design styles. With the support of Jules Prown’s introductory theory of material culture, it asserts that the persistence and diversity of Qur'anic epigraphy throughout history indicate a continued significance and relevance in fulfilling a deliberate role within its context.
To examine this role, this research employs both intrinsic and extrinsic approaches. It highlights the importance of comprehending the nature of the text and its perception within contemporary Muslim communities, while taking into account the particularities of different people at various times and places. This approach suggests a more integrative and interpretive paradigm that seeks to provide a framework for perceiving Qur'anic epigraphy and its multifaceted aspects within mosque architecture, rooted in its culture.
The study, therefore, explores the religious and historical contexts that have influenced the evolution and integration of Qur'anic epigraphy, shedding light on the underlying motivations for its continued presence in mosque architecture. Then through a qualitative case study method, the three contemporary case studies are selected through conducting a pilot study, a survey of contemporary mosques in Europe and Australia, and an exploration of the Turkish and Ottoman calligraphic context. Based on a close reading of the calligraphic and architectural programs and contexts of these mosques, while examining their design process and references and emphasizing the trilogy of architects, clients, and calligraphers, this study reveals how these Qur'anic inscriptions play a pivotal role in redefining mosque design amidst Western modernity and secularism.
Finally, through examining the ideological implications of Qur'anic inscriptions in the studied mosques, this study has demonstrated how these inscriptions were carefully chosen to counter stereotypes of Islam and Muslims. It has drawn attention to the possible attribution of the continuous use of Qur'anic epigraphy in mosque architecture over centuries to the notion of daʿwah and its alignment with the objectives of the Qur'an.
| Item Type: | Thesis | ||||||||||||
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| Creators: | Hussein, N. | ||||||||||||
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| Date: | September 2023 | ||||||||||||
| Rights: | The copyright in this work is held by the author. You may copy up to 5% of this work for private study, or personal, non-commercial research. Any re-use of the information contained within this document should be fully referenced, quoting the author, title, university, degree level and pagination. Queries or requests for any other use, or if a more substantial copy is required, should be directed to the author. | ||||||||||||
| Divisions: | Schools > School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment | ||||||||||||
| Record created by: | Jonathan Gallacher | ||||||||||||
| Date Added: | 14 Aug 2024 08:47 | ||||||||||||
| Last Modified: | 14 Aug 2024 09:34 | ||||||||||||
| URI: | https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/51997 |
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