Cultivating a space for decolonizing architectural knowledge

Salama, Ashraf M. and El-Ashmouni, Marwa M. (2022) Cultivating a space for decolonizing architectural knowledge. DArjournal: International Journal of Architecture in the Islamic World, 1 (1). pp. 26-49. ISSN 2785-3152 (https://issuu.com/darjournal/docs/dar_1_deb2b4c7d9...)

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Abstract

Joining the calls for dissolving past dominant geographies of architectural knowledge this essay calls for the need for decolonized voices that should emerge in parallel to the western canons of architectural authority. The essay contextualizes what is commonly understood as Muslim societies by reflecting on the contemporary global forces and the associated professional realm. It conceptualizes an understanding of what is 'Islamic' about architecture and then offers a discerning argument on decol-onized architectural knowledge. It argues that 'Islamic' in architecture is about the system of values rather than images or forms and that, operationally and practically, the Aga Khan Award for Architecture (AKAA) is a model that reflects these values through the awarded projects and the associated discourse while empowering the construction of a decolonized space of architectural knowledge in Muslim societies.

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