The architectural features of the city of Jerusalem and its historical significance will be the topic of a lecture to be organised by the Historical Buildings Section of Dubai Municipality this week.
Titled "Jerusalem re-visited: the use of Digital Technology in Architectural Heritage," the lecture will be held at Dar Al Nadwa of Bastakiya heritage district on Wednesday (22 February 2006) from 7.00 p.m.
Dr. Mohamed El Amrousi, professor of architecture at the United Arab Emirates University, will deliver the lecture. About the significance of the lecture, said Al Amrousi:
"The site of Al-Aqsa mosque and its surrounding urban enclave known as al-Haram al-Sharif have been subject to cultural intersections for the past decades. Muslims visit this space to pay homage to al-Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock. These monuments were constructed as monuments of commemoration for al-Isra wa al-Miraj journey."
"It is also the first direction of prayer (Qibla) in the Muslim World. Christians visit the site to venerate the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and the Via Delarosa (Last 12 Stations of Christ). For Jews the site is important because of its association with the "Wailing Wall" -- part of the Herodian Temple that has become part of their National Identity. Muslim, Christian and Jewish communities have lived in Jerusalem overtime and constitute its demographic composition, post 1967 this changed. The different living quarters of the city have undergone phases of inclusion and omission during its architectural restoration. Such changes on the urban scale can be better viewed within digital mediums," he said.
The paper revisits al-Haram al-Sharif. Architectural history merged with virtual reality enable a better study of time and space of this culturally sensitive site. Merging the 'Real' and 'Augmented reality' to synthesis architectural theories on al-Haram al-Sharif and its relation to urban fabric of Jerusalem are discussed in this research paper.
The lecture forms part of a year-round public awareness programme, drawn up by the section. The programme includes a series of heritage and historic lectures and photo exhibitions on historic buildings to educate the people about the significance of preservation of these buildings. The section also organizes field visits for students, tourists and residents to the heritage districts like Al Bastakiya, Shindagha and Al Ras where a large number of historic buildings have been successfully restored to their former glory by Dubai Municipality.
-Ends-
Thajudeen V. Aliar
Journalist, Media Section,
Public Relations & Organisations Dept.,
Dubai Municipality
PO Box: 67
Dubai
UAE
+971 4 2064609 +971 4 2232188
+971 50 5881278
tvaliar@dm.gov.ae
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© Press Release 2006
