This book investigates the history of Arabian Suqs from their Pre-Islamic beginnings until present.
This book investigates the history of Arabian suqs from their pre-Islamic beginnings to the present. Collecting evidence from archaeological ruins, Islamic towns, modern cities, Arabic poetry, philosophical debates, political conflicts, puppet shows and the insights of modern-day market-goers, the book presents new and unforeseen interpretations of the Arabian suq’s meaning and its transformation through time and place. The finding that such meaning is tied to ancient trade rituals, where temple and market presented a holistic socio-urban unit, re-questions some instrumental assumptions regarding the value of suq-ness in Arabia’s everyday practices. Such a finding, which locates the fadaa/tareeq duality as a central theme in Arabia’s socio-urban discourse, emphasizes the importance of lived experiences and poetics as key sources for understanding socio-urban phenomena.
This book investigates the history of Arabian Suqs from their Pre-Islamic beginnings until present.
List of Illustrations. Preface. Introduction: A Personal Impression, A
Problem, A Method.
Chapter 1: Arab-ness in between Prejudice and Prehension.
Chapter 2: The Arabian Sq in Contemporary Discourse.
Chapter 3: Pre-Islamic
Arabia in-between fada and tareeq.
Chapter 4: Islamic Arabia in-between
tajalli and wahm.
Chapter 5: Post-Islamic Arabia in-between Tradition and
Progress.
Chapter 6: The Arabian Sqs Past, Present and Future.
Bibliography. Index.
Jasmine Shahin is a Dubai-based interior architect and university professor, teaching interior design and architectural history/theory in several institutions. In 2000, Shahin graduated from the American University in Dubai, after which she trained with one of the largest local firms in the Middle East. In 2007, she joined De Montfort University in Leicester, UK, where she received both her MPhil (2010) and PhD (2020) in Architectural and Urban Theory. Shahin has produced several publications and has presented many papers at international conferences. Her academic publications focus on the importance of hermeneutics for understanding the development of historical places in relation to contingent social experiences. She founded NU Design Bureau in 2020, complementing her academic experience with a strong pool of successful projects.
