The Ministry of Culture organized, this evening, at the Doha Institute for Studies, a symposium entitled “Architecture in Our Culture”, as part of the season of seminars organized by the Ministry in its second edition, and will continue until March 19, in cooperation with Qatar University, the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies, and Qatar National Library.
The symposium was attended by His Excellency Sheikh Abdul Rahman bin Hamad bin Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani, Minister of Culture, and a group of academics and intellectuals.
The symposium, which was moderated by the journalist Ahmed Abdullah, hosted Dr. Abdel Wahed, the Egyptian architect, who spoke about the philosophy of Arab-Islamic architecture, and its distinction, due to its harmony with human instinct and nature, stressing at the same time that the right architectural design is for each city to have its own identity and what distinguishes it. . During the lecture, he reviewed many models of architecture around the world, and the most important features that distinguish the architecture of each civilization, referring in this regard to models of ancient architecture in many cities of the Islamic world, and models from Spain such as the Arab House, as well as models in the United States of America and the United Kingdom. , and Japan, which he considered closer to the model of Islamic civilization.
He said that architecture is a culture, and it is not taught in universities as a culture, but as models, especially those Western models, saying " A person, with his pure nature, realizes this matter, and does not need anyone else to teach it to him", warning against tampering with nature. Al-Wakil defended his idea of architecture, which adopts the need for empty spaces in the midst of buildings, the so-called “yards” instead of spatial setbacks around the house, pointing out that these spaces are nature, and that the buildings are man-made, likening (spaces / courtyards) to the spirituality that is It has an impact on those who live in it, and it is energy-saving if it is well designed and built.
The agent architect presented an approach on the relationship between architecture and its psychological impact, as each place has an impact on the soul, as well as the architectural character that enhances psychological comfort if there are spaces and closeness to nature, calling at the same time for architects to pay attention to the rules of psychology of colors and building height, stressing However, it is necessary to rely on engineers who have the ability to differentiate between architecture that is based on culture and takes into account identity and privacy, and architecture that does not express the country’s identity and culture that contains this building of multiple shapes and colors without an organizing unit. Al-Wakil stressed that the return of the aesthetics of the Arab city requires a return to our authentic culture, while adhering to the laws of engineering, and achieving harmony between the vocabulary of buildings.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abdel Wahed Al-Wakil was born in Cairo in 1943, graduated from the Faculty of Engineering at Ain Shams University in 1965, then took the academic path until he obtained his doctorate, and was famous for his adherence to the Arab-Islamic identity and designed many mosques and buildings around the world, and won several awards for his work "multinational" Including the Aga Khan Award in 1980 and 1989, and the Deerhaus Award for Classical Architecture.
It is worth noting that the seminar season includes 5 seminars, and is considered a live platform and a spacious space to highlight the national culture and enrich it by interacting with global cultures, in addition to its primary role in promoting dialogue between intellectuals and generations of intellectuals on pivotal issues of interest to large sectors of society. The next seminar will be held tomorrow, Wednesday, on History of Andalusia in the House of Wisdom Hall at the Ministry of Culture.
The Qatar Voluntary Center of the Ministry of Culture had held a ceremony before the start of the symposium, to honor the volunteers who contributed to the major events that were held throughout the first quarter of this year. During the ceremony, certificates of appreciation were distributed to male and female volunteers in various events, most notably the Qatar Camel Festival (Jazilat Al-Atta), the Gulf Engineering Forum, and others. In a speech during the ceremony, Mr. Moeed Al-Qahtani, Executive Director of the Qatar Voluntary Center, appreciated the efforts of the volunteers in the success of the various events in the country, calling on them to pay and success, and to continue their giving to obtain the prizes that the center presents monthly. As well as the volunteer scarf granted by the center.
