Legacies of Art, Architecture and Culture in Historic Mosul: A story of resistance and resilience in the context of adversity

This talk addresses the diverse history of art, culture, and architecture of Old Mosul as a mosaic of interlocked layers of resilience in the face of protracted adversities.

Navigating through the local bazaars and destroyed alleyways of Old Mosul, Professor Abdelmonem will trace the impact of the war and ISIS's indiscriminate destruction of cultural, and religious buildings in a city that was the market town and centre for textile trade in Northern Iraq.

With many initiatives focused on restoration and reconstruction projects, little attention is paid towards the fast-disappearing ways of everyday life in the historic city. Professor Abdelmonem argues that local communities' stories and inherited practices are critical voices fighting against permanent erasure, forgetting
and currents of modernisation. When buildings and streets disappear, art and culture can still be preserved through the memory and voices of local people and communities.

The lecture will be chaired by Professor Hugh Kennedy. 

About the speaker

Mohamed Gamal Abdelmonem is the Professor and Chair of Architecture, and the Founding Director of Research at the Department of Architecture at the University of York. He has been the Founding Director of the multi-award-winning Centre for Architecture, Urbanism and Global Heritage since 2017. Gamal was a Chair in Architecture and the University lead of the Global Heritage Strategic Research Theme at Nottingham Trent University. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a Patron of the Home Renaissance Foundation. Gamal was the recipient of The Queen’s Anniversary Prize (2021), the Vice-Chancellor Research Excellence Award (2020), and the Jeffrey Cook Award (2014), whilst was runner-up for Newton Prize (2020).

Professor Abdelmonem's research focuses on architectural history, architectural and urban heritage, the architecture of the home, socio-spatial practices of urban communities, museums of the future, virtual heritage technologies, and post-conflict cities. Gamal’s research has informed governments and international organisations in Ireland, UK, Egypt, India, Jordan and China. He is a featured author for Routledge and his recent books include Peripheries: Edge Conditions in Architecture (2012), Portrush: Towards an Architecture for the North Irish Coast (2013); The Architecture of Home in Cairo (2016), and Architecture, Space and Memory of Resurrection in Northern Ireland (2019); and People, Care and Work in the Home (2020).

Contact

Email: rw51@soas.ac.uk.

Image: A mosaic of art, cultures and religions: The damaged architecture of Old Mosul © 2023 Mosul Heritage, Nottingham Trent University. All Copyrights reserved.