SACM - United Kingdom
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://drepo.sdl.edu.sa/handle/20.500.14154/9667
Browse
5 results
Search Results
Item Restricted Cultural Echoes in Stone & Concrete: A Journey Through Time and Architecture in Historic Jeddah’s Al-Balad(University of Westminster, 2024-01-10) Siraj, Talah Wabil; Bremner, LindsayLocated in the western region of the Arabian Peninsula on the Eastern coast of the Red Sea, my hometown, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, has been a significant part in connecting extensive trading networks for centuries. Serving as the gateway to the holy cities of Mecca and Madinah, it is a harbour for Muslim pilgrims from around the world. Over time, it became a melting pot of different cultures and ethnicities, which shaped every aspect of the local lifestyle. Jeddah’s geographic location also unquestionably influenced its architecture in several ways; climatically, religiously, and culturally. The town’s architectural designs, building materials, traditions, and lifestyle were all in response to its context. The beautiful traditional houses were constructed using old building methods, with a combination of local and imported materials. The buildings functioned adequately to suit and serve the local lifestyle before the unification of the kingdom, and the discovery of oil, electricity, and concrete. Those pivotal historical events that took place in the 1930s marked the beginning of a transformative phase for Jeddah. The traditional construction methods and lifestyle were left in the past as Jeddah went through a stage of modern development. New buildings lacked cultural identity as a result of modernism and carbon energy. This dissertation is an autoethnographic study of the history of Jeddah’s old town of Al-Balad from both a technical and lifestyle perspective. Leveraging personal connections to the subject, I was able to visit the old town and acquire authentic information and material from primary sources, which helped me picture and analyse life in Al-Balad more vividly. This paper carries out an in-depth exploration of Jeddah’s history while examining the link between architecture and lifestyle in response to its diverse context, and the reasons why the traditional way of living was abandoned.19 0Item Restricted Cultural Echoes in Stone & Concrete: A Journey Through Time and Architecture in Historic Jeddah’s Al-Balad(University of Westminster, 2024-01-10) Siraj, Talah Wabil; Bremner, LindsayLocated in the western region of the Arabian Peninsula on the Eastern coast of the Red Sea, my hometown, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, has been a significant part in connecting extensive trading networks for centuries. Serving as the gateway to the holy cities of Mecca and Madinah, it is a harbour for Muslim pilgrims from around the world. Over time, it became a melting pot of different cultures and ethnicities, which shaped every aspect of the local lifestyle. Jeddah’s geographic location also unquestionably influenced its architecture in several ways; climatically, religiously, and culturally. The town’s architectural designs, building materials, traditions, and lifestyle were all in response to its context. The beautiful traditional houses were constructed using old building methods, with a combination of local and imported materials. The buildings functioned adequately to suit and serve the local lifestyle before the unification of the kingdom, and the discovery of oil, electricity, and concrete. Those pivotal historical events that took place in the 1930s marked the beginning of a transformative phase for Jeddah. The traditional construction methods and lifestyle were left in the past as Jeddah went through a stage of modern development. New buildings lacked cultural identity as a result of modernism and carbon energy. This dissertation is an autoethnographic study of the history of Jeddah’s old town of Al-Balad from both a technical and lifestyle perspective. Leveraging personal connections to the subject, I was able to visit the old town and acquire authentic information and material from primary sources, which helped me picture and analyse life in Al-Balad more vividly. This paper carries out an in-depth exploration of Jeddah’s history while examining the link between architecture and lifestyle in response to its diverse context, and the reasons why the traditional way of living was abandoned.13 0Item Restricted THE EMERGENCE AND CONSOLIDATION OF HERITAGE CONSERVATION IN MECCA, SAUDI ARABIA, 1955-2021(Newcastle University, 2024-02-20) Alfelali, Mohanad; Garcia-Fuentes, Josep-MariaBuilt heritage sites in the Hejaz of Arabia, in general, and in Mecca, in particular, have been under pressure from modernisation and globalisation since the beginning of Islam. In the case of Mecca city, this thesis argues that the enormous expansions of the Holy Mosque since 1955, in line with steady growth in the number of pilgrims to this honourable spot of land, along with poor public awareness of the importance of these sites, have weakened the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s resistance to these pressures. There is a noticeable absence of research on the heritage conservation movement in Saudi Arabia, especially in Mecca city. A search of the literature shows that no chronological study exploring the emergence of the heritage conservation movement in the city of Mecca covers the period between 1955 and 2021. Therefore, the framework of this doctoral research has been shaped by the aim to investigate the emergence and consolidation of the heritage conservation movement in the city of Mecca between 1955 and 2021 through the analysis of the related cultural, social, and economic debate and to discuss to what extent the concept of heritage conservation is applicable to Mecca city. This is accomplished through analytical methods that have been employed to understand the evolution of heritage conservation in Mecca via a chronological (66-year) analysis of the gathered data from various sources, including published books, journal articles, historical references, archive documents (maps, photographs and others), government reports and statistics, dissertations along with local and national newspapers. Besides the chronological analysis, numerous semi-structured interviews with a variety of stakeholders (decision-makers, local experts, academics, and local residents) are conducted to fill information gaps and explore the points of view of the different actors and stakeholders regarding heritage conservation in Saudi Arabia in general and in Mecca city in particular. The research makes an essential contribution by addressing this gap through analysing laws and regulations, key actors, and implementation. In the early 1970s, the economic growth and waves of urbanisation accompanying the oil boom had disastrous impacts on urban heritage, resulting in the loss of many heritage sites and making heritage conservation a popular yet controversial theme. All of this attracted the government and those interested in heritage attention to the importance of heritage and its relevance in preserving Saudi identity; thus, genuine efforts started. These efforts led to the establishment of the first official law in Saudi Arabia in 1972, based on the Antiquities Law of Egypt. However, this thesis contends that the Saudi state's desire to preserve its heritage predated the enactment of the laws, citing the conservation of the old structure (the Ottoman Portico) of the Holy Mosque by royal decree in 1967 as proof. Although the emergence of heritage protection norms in Saudi Arabia manifested in the passage of the updated law in 2014, which greatly expanded heritage protection in several ways, there was no obligation and insufficient determination to safeguard heritage buildings and sites in Mecca. One of the most apparent findings in this study is a considerable trade-off between heritage conservation and the economic demand for an increased number of pilgrims. This thesis indicates that Mecca's heritage conservation situation is complex and uneven. The most severe threats to heritage are a large number of visitors, commercial progress, and a lack of knowledge.31 0Item Restricted A Long Annotated Translation of An Ancient Egyptian Book of The Dead: The Papyrus of Sobekmose by Paul F. O’Rourke(Saudi Digital Library, 2023-11-23) Alghanmi, Mohammed; Elgindy, AhmedThis MA long annotated translation project delves into the profound realm of ancient Egyptian funerary traditions and religious beliefs through the translation of "An Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead: The Papyrus of Sobekmose" by Paul F. O’Rourke. The objective is to provide readers with a nuanced and culturally resonant insight into the Egyptian conception of the afterlife. The chosen text, with its intricate blend of religious doctrines and funerary rituals, offers a unique window into the spiritual fabric of ancient Egyptian society. The translation process involves meticulous consideration of cultural nuances, linguistic intricacies, and the preservation of the text's inherent spiritual depth. Special attention is given to rendering terms related to the Egyptian pantheon, such as Osiris, Nephthys, and Isis, in a manner that captures both their linguistic essence and cultural significance. The exploration of the Ba, Ka, Ren, Akh, and other components of the soul within Egyptian mythology further enriches the reader's understanding of the intricate interplay between life and the afterlife. By employing translation strategies that balance linguistic accuracy with cultural sensitivity, this long annotated translation aims to transport readers into the heart of ancient Egyptian beliefs. The resulting translated text not only unveils the subtleties of religious practices but also contributes to a broader scholarly understanding of ancient Egyptian civilization and its profound insights into the mysteries of existence and beyond.44 0Item Restricted A Critical Exploration of Some Dominant Narratives in Early Childhood Education in Saudi Arabia(Saudi Digital Library, 2023-11-07) Abahussain, Sara; McNair, Lynn; Konstantoni, KristinaIn the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, early childhood education settings were not introduced until the late 1960s. For many years, the field has taken modest steps towards its development, leaving the vast majority of children under the age of six lacking access to early childhood education and care. Yet, during the last 10 years, the Saudi Ministry of Education has placed a significant emphasis on the expansion of the field through the implementation of a number of national initiatives and programmes. Given this significant change, the present work is concerned with exploring the contemporary narratives surrounding the education of young children in the Kingdom and the details of these initiatives and programmes, and many other policies and practices besides. Thus, a theoretical framework informed by post-structural notions of dominant discourses and its rejection of universalised knowledge is utilised to provide insight into how historical conditions may have contributed to the emergence of certain truths and realities regarding the education of young children in Saudi Arabia. It was also proposed that such an analysis would illustrate the ways in which the dominance of these narratives may influence how young children, their teachers and their educational settings are perceived today. The above aim and the adopted theoretical position allow this work to engage in a critical qualitative inquiry exploring the prevailing existing discourses that may have contributed to the formation and promotion of certain views concerning early childhood education within the local context. Data was primarily derived from two sources: (i) six key national documents published between 1970 and 2019, and (ii) 18 in-depth interviews with educators from various positions within the Saudi early childhood education system. Data analysis provides one possible way to examine critically the popular images within the field by drawing attention to the historical conditions that may have contributed to their dominance, the influence of both universalised knowledge and cultural context on constructing certain notions of reality, and how these images are, in turn, altering what we know about the field today. The study concludes that the current scene of Saudi early childhood education has two compelling narratives, each with its own imaginary of young children, their teachers and early childhood settings. This thesis, therefore, contributes to the existing literature on the dominance of particular discourses concerning the contemporary understanding of young children’s education and care by illustrating the emergence of these discourses and their impact on the construction and, perhaps, normalisation of particular knowledge in the field. The significance of this work lies in the fact that it is primarily concerned with a context in which such an analysis has yet to be conducted. As such, it provides an insight into how similar narratives to those found in the Global North can exist in another part of the world and how local conditions may influence both the plot and implications of these narratives.52 0