International Conference on Islamic Heritage Architecture and Art

International Conference on Islamic Heritage Architecture and Art will be held on May 17-19 in Valéncia, Spain.

The Conference aims to highlight the importance of Islamic Heritage Architecture to the world and its influence across different regions.

The Meeting will deal with the design of many types of buildings in Islamic countries, including not only the better known public buildings such as mosques, mausolea, citadels and forts, but also houses and gardens, engineering works such as bridges and dams, irrigation systems and many others which have also had a profound impact on society. Islamic Architecture has enriched design with a wide variety of structural shapes, including among others, unique arches, a wide variety of vaults and domes which allow for new forms to be developed. The influence that these structural forms have in non-Islamic countries will be one of the themes of the Conference.

There is much to learn from past experiences to arrive at solutions which are environmentally sound and sustainable in the long term. As conventional energy resources become scarce, the Islamic design heritage can offer invaluable lessons on how to deal in an efficient manner with cases of hard and extreme environments. Traditional architecture and urban environment in most Islamic countries is now being eroded by overemphasis on global type of architecture and city planning. As a consequence, many regions are losing their identity. The Conference will aim to review these developments in the light of what the classical Islamic urban designs and architectures have to offer modern society. An equally important part of the Meeting will analyse the materials employed and the types of structural elements, particularly those unique to Islamic architecture. Associated topics of discussion will include music, textiles and ceramics, which are essential parts of the architectural fabric.

The Conference will encompass papers on construction materials, including not only stone and brick but also more perishable materials such as adobe, wood and reeds. Preserving that Heritage also requires the development of appropriate conservation techniques in response to the different materials used and the ways structural forms work, including under extreme conditions, such as earthquakes. Papers relevant to the influence of Islamic architecture on the development of new structural form, shape and design in the Western countries are particularly welcome. The Meeting will be of interest to all researchers, practitioners and government employees actively involved in the topic of Islamic Heritage Architecture.

 Conference Topics

The following list covers some of the topics to be presented at Islamic Heritage Architecture 2016. Papers on other subjects related to the objectives of the conference are also welcome.

• Structural rehabilitation
• Repairs and maintenance
• Data and documentation
• Risk assessment and management
• Oman and Eastern Saudi Arabian architecture
• The upper Gulf (Kuwait and Basra)
• The central Gulf (Bahranian and Qatar)
• The lower Gulf architecture
• The Persian coast and islands
• The Trucial coast (Abu Dhabi, Dubai and the Northern Emirates)
• Classical Ottoman architecture
• Ottoman Istanbul
• Turkish architecture in the 18th and 19th centuries
• The Balkans legacy
• The Baltic and Caspian Sea legacy
• Islamic architecture along the Silk Road
• Islamic architecture in China
• Other Eastern countries
• Afghanistan
• Islamic architecture in the ex Soviet republics
• Architecture in Malaysia and Indonesia
• The Indian continent
• Islamic architecture in El Andalus and other Spanish regions
• Influence in the Americas
• The Mediterranean region
• The East African coast
• New cities and the search for authenticity

• Architectural heritage
• Archaeological studies
• Historical aspects
• The Islamic urban environment
• Mosques and minarets
• Mausolea
• Schools
• Citadels and fortifications
• Baths and caravansereis
• Markets and public spaces
• Palaces
• Houses and gardens
• Bridges and dams
• Cisterns and qunats
• Earth-sheltered architecture
• Irrigation systems
• Climate adaptability
• Arches and vaults
• Wind towers
• Wind and water mills
• Domes and squinches
• Double shell dome
• Geometry and orientation
• The use of light
• Design and nature
• Vernacular architecture
• Construction materials
• Masonry and mortars
• Wood and wooden roofs
• Metals
• Tiles
• Stone including roofs
• Adobe constructions
• Structural analysis
• Earthquake resistant structures
• Calligraphy, painting and patterns
• Architectural conservation

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