Archiam Projects 2002 - 2025
CENTRE FOR THE STUDY OF ARCHITECTURE AND CULTURAL HERITAGE OF INDIA, ARABIA AND THE MAGHREB
ArCHIAM
ArCHIAM Centre
The ArCHIAM Centre (Architecture and Cultural Heritage of India, Arabia and the Maghreb) is an interdisciplinary research platform based at the University of Liverpool, UK, which brings together architects, heritage specialists, scholars in architecture, social history, ethnography, architectural technology and archaeology who are interested in the study of the architecture and cultural heritage of India, Arabia and the Maghreb. The Centre is engaged in world-leading research of both historical and contemporary phenomena with the aim to further the understanding of these spheres, develop theoretical positions and test them through urban and architectural design propositions, thus aiding in the preservation of the past.
ArCHIAM has a track record in cultural heritage management and tourism development in Oman acquired by working in collaboration with various government institutions including Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Heritage and Culture, Diwan of Royal Court, Muscat Municipality, learned bodies and stakeholder groups. An important contribution is the Phase-1 implementation of the Heritage and Tourism Development Plan for Misfat Al-Abriyin, a partially inhabited mountain oasis in Wilayat Al-Hamra, commissioned in 2016 by the Ministry of Tourism and funded through Bank Muscat’s Corporate Social Responsibility scheme. Officially inaugurated in 2020, this is the first tourism and heritage management project realised in Oman. It has pioneered the implementation of adaptive reuse design concepts and approaches, steering mainstream conservation practice in Oman towards sustainable development and sensitive contemporary design interventions in heritage sites. In 2014 ArCHIAM won, together with the Ministry of Heritage and Culture, Oman, first prize in research and second prize in implementation in the Prince Sultan bin Salman Award for Urban Heritage (Saudi Arabia).
ArCHIAM’s world-leading research on Omani culture and identity, tangible and intangible heritage is evidenced by the top-quality academic publications of its members as well as by wider dissemination outputs such as exhibitions (Manah: A Gift of God. The Architecture of a Deserted Omani Settlement, Muscat & Sharjah; Architecture on the Fringes, Cambridge, USA & Liverpool, UK; Gulf Architecture Project Exhibition, Doha) and award-winning documentary films (Misfat Al-Abriyin: Implementing Heritage Policy, Changing Design Practice, Developing Communities and M’Hamid Oasis Morocco). In collaboration with the Qatar National Library, in 2020 ArCHIAM developed a digital archive on Gulf architecture and urbanism, including more than 9,000 assets supported by metadata, which is set to offer the most cohesive and comprehensive open-access digital knowledge platform.
ArCHIAM holds extensive experience in creating awareness of cultural heritage through public engagement (children workshops Decoration and Construction of Omani Traditional Architecture and Omani Aflaj, National Museum Oman) and community outreach (community workshops Redesigning an Existing Building and Rethinking Harat al-Shua, Misfat Al-Abriyin; Restoration, Recording and Documentation of Earthen Architectural Heritage, M’Hamid, Morocco).
Core members
Prof Soumyen Bandyopadhyay - Director
Dr Giamila Quattrone - Co-Director
Dr Mary Shepperson - Project Co-Investigator
Dr Konstantina Georgiadou - Research Associate
Claudia Briguglio - Research Assistant
Matina Vrettou - Research Assistant
Pasquale Larosa - Research Assistant
Contents
Research and Heritage Management Planning
Management Plan for Bahla Fort and Oasis World Heritage Site
Documentation and Heritage Management Plans of Harat as-Saybani, Birkat al-Mawz
Documentation and Heritage Management Plans of Harat al-Hujra, Fanja
Documentation and Heritage Management Plans of Harat al-Yemen, Izkī
Documentation and Heritage Management Plans of Harat al-‘Aqr, Bahla
Documentation and Heritage Management Plans of Harat as-Sulayf, ‘Ibri
Documentation and Heritage Management Plans of Harat al Barashid and Harat as-Sawafah, Sinaw
Documentation and Heritage Management Plans of Harat al-Jilah, Tiwi/Sur
Documentation and Heritage Management Plans of Harat al-Mudairyb, al-Qabil
Documentation, Heritage and Tourism Development Plan of Misfat al-Abriyin, Al-Hamra
Documentation and Heritage Management Plans of Harat al-Wusta and Harat al-Gharbia,Salalah
Documentation and Heritage Management Plans of Mirbat
Documentation and Heritage Management Plans of Minzafah
Redevelopment of al-Aqr, Nizwa
Muscat Ceremonial Route: Advisory Role
Hugli Heritage Management Strategy
Research and Documentation
M’Hamid, Morocco: Your Heritage, Your Future
Supporting Heritage Resilience: Digitally Aided Transmission of Traditional Earth Building Crafts in Southern Morocco
Documenting the Endangered Reed Architecture of the Iraqi Marshes
Documenting the Endangered Historic Houses of Najaf
Research and Digitisation
LSA Digital Collections Repository
The Gulf Architecture Project (GAP)
Design
Salut Museum Concept Design Proposal
Development of appropriate adaptive reuse and restoration approaches for Salalah (Bait As-Sail House)
Rehabilitation, Reuse and Restoration of Traditional Structures and Open Spaces at Misfat Al Abriyin
– Wilayat al Hamra
Dissemination and Public Engagement
National Museum, Oman
Architecture on the Fringes Exhibition
Redesigning an Existing Building & Rethinking Harat al-Shua Participatory Design Workshops
Architectural and Urban Forms of the Islamic World - Lecture Series
Architecture and Urban Development of the Deccan Sultanate - Lecture Series
Decoration and Construction of Omani Traditional Architecture & Omani Aflaj Educational Children
Workshops
The Gulf Architecture Project (GAP) Exhibition
Harat al-Bilad: A Virtual Exhibition
Modernity, Nationhood and the Unconscious: Abanindranath Tagore and the Garden House in Konnagar
Inclusive, Sustainable, Innovative - Aga Khan Award for Architecture 2022 & ArCHIAM 10-years
Capacity Building
Documentation of vernacular settlements in the Muscat Governorate
The Mysore/Srirangapatna Heritage Documentation and Development Project
Recording and Documentation of Earthen Architectural Heritage of Morocco
Getty International Course on the Conservation of Earthen Architecture
Restoring, Recording and Inventorying the Tangible and Intangible Cultural Heritage of the M’Hamid Oasis, Morocco
Research and Heritage Management Planning
Location
Ad-Dhakhliya Governorate
Client
Ministry of Heritage and Culture, Oman
Partner
WS Atkins
Period
2002-2005
Services
Conservation strategy
Design guidance
Master-planning
Training
Management Plan for Bahla Fort and Oasis World Heritage Site
The site of Bahla Fort and Oasis lies in the Ad Dhakhliya Region in north-west Oman, some 210 km south-west of Muscat. Bahla is located at a strategic defensive position in a gap within the Jebel Akhdar range of mountains.
The settlement sited at a natural oasis is enclosed, with its agricultural hinterland within a mud-brick wall and dominated by a Fort and grand mosque located on a high rocky outcrop. Settlement within the oasis comprises a number of harah. These are enclosed generally self-contained settlement of traditional mud brick two storey often contiguous dwellings. Bahla Fort and Oasis World Heritage Site (WHS) is significant in a number of ways. The site qualifies as a cultural property which fulfils any one or all of the three UNESCO definitions of properties on the World Heritage List, as a monument; a group of buildings and a site. With respect to groups of urban buildings UNESCO has adopted additional guidelines concerning their inclusion in the World Heritage List and the Oasis settlement at Bahla can be defined as a historic town.
The management plan envisioned the future of Bahla as comprising the following points:
• to be a place, where the historic, architectural and other values are safeguarded, through appropriate conservation and development regulations
• to be a living, prosperous, sustainable place with a vibrant economy and balanced community;
• to be an inspiring place where people can work, learn, worship and visit in comfort and safety;
• to be a place where people of all nationalities and abilities can appreciate and learn about the valuable living history of the site
Location
Ad-Dhakhliya Governorate
Client
Ministry of Heritage and Culture, Oman
Period
2011
Services
Conservation strategy
Design guidance
Master-planning
Training
Documentation and Heritage Management Plans of Harat as-Saybani, Birkat al-Mawz
The founding of Birkat al-Mawz, located on the southern flank of the Jebel Akhdar range, in the late 17th century paralleled developments in the Al-Hamra oasis, near Bahla World Heritage Site (WHS), and the rebuilding of many settlement quarters at the time, such as Harat al-Yemen in Izki. Characterised by rapid construction, these settlements also indicate a new era of unification in Oman of several tribal groupings under Ya’aribah encouragement. The Falaj al-Khatmayn – one of the five Omani aflaj inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list – is a complex irrigation network that waters the oasis of Birkat al-Mawz.
The distinctive round-plan tower at the apex of the hill once provided surveillance and communication with the outlying towers which encircle the oasis. They collectively established a defensive system for the settlement quarters and the oasis. Fanning out from this tower the eastern and western edges of the harah run down along the incline, roughly at right angles to each other, fortified by formidable dry stone masonry constructions.
While tourism is likely to play an important role in future in the local economy alongside more traditional and everyday activities, it is felt that managing the heritage at Birkat al-Mawz provides the opportunity to think innovatively about programmatic input. It is proposed that education, research and skills training, in heritage and allied areas, as well as in traditional crafts, should be the central focus of the programmatic input. This should be dovetailed with touristic and commercial programme, consisting of an information centre, short-stay accommodation and refreshment and food and other commercial outlets.
Location
Bidbid
Client
Ministry of Heritage and Culture, Oman
Period
2012-2013
Services
Conservation strategy
Design guidance
Master-planning
Training
Documentation and Heritage Management Plans of Harat al-Hujra, Fanja
Lying around an hour’s drive to the south of Muscat the ancient oasis of Fanja is easily reached from the Capital area. The town with its various settlement clusters is still in an unusually good state of preservation, considering the extraordinary development of Oman over the past 30 years, and in particular considering its proximity to the capital region. The settlement of Harat al-Hujra lies at the heart of the Fanja oasis, sitting atop a rocky plateau within a heavily fortified enclosure.
Given the unique state of conservation of the palm groves and the picturesque setting of the village of Harat al-Hujra, the site would be an ideal destination for visitors from nearby Muscat, the wider Muscat Governorate and the Batinah region. The gradual abandonment of ancient houses is largely due to the lack of modern utilities and a lack of jobs in the area, thus, in order to secure the future of Fanja as a living settlement, the priority must be to provide current and future inhabitants with utilities such as improved vehicular access, sewage systems, running water as well as electricity and telecommunications, as well as job oportunities. Certain facilities may be provided for visitors, especially in conjunction with the famed Azwah festival which sees several thousand people descend on the small village for the duration of about six days. As part of this festival a number of subtle additions have been proposed the settlement, including the creation of a small rock-cut amphitheatre, as well as cafés and restaurants. Use could also be made of the thermal waters of the Hammam al-Gharbi, perhaps creating a public bath as part of the short stay accommodation provision.
Location
Ad-Dhakhliya Governorate
Client
Ministry of Heritage and Culture, Oman
Period
2012-2013
Services
Conservation strategy
Design guidance
Master-planning
Training
Documentation and Heritage Management Plans of Harat al-Yemen, Izkī
Izki has had a special place in Omani history and it is sometimes considered the oldest continuously inhabited town in Oman. Hafit-type tombs in the nearby Wadi Halfayn have been dated to the 3rd millennium BCE and it is likely that Izki is also the subject of a text from the famed Mesopotamian ‘Ishtar Slab’ inscription dating to around 640 BCE, connecting the site to the bronze and copper trade of Antiquity.
Within the oasis the town of Harat al-Yemen is a clearly defined and self-contained urban unit of some 140 dwellings located within a well-preserved walled enclosure. There has been no modern development within the enclosure itself, allowing Harat al-Yemen to retain its vernacular fabric in its entirety and making it appropriate for a detailed study of the urban and architectural character, and the social structure that existed prior to the development of the 1970s. The surrounding area, however, has seen significant change – especially through the rapid growth of new areas of housing. These have extended far into the palm groves and outlying agricultural lands, impacting heavily on the traditional agrarian structure of the oasis.
ArCHIAM’s master plan aims to take a holistic approach to development and conservation in al-Yemen, keeping in mind an even broader context of the need to consider such issues for the entire oasis of Izki and current approaches being adopted within the Dakhiliyah region (e.g., in the Bahla WHS, Nizwa, Manah, Birkat al-Mawz, etc.) as a whole. There would be a focus on tourism as the key economic driver of development, but with an additional focus on educational facilities, sustainable resource management and infrastructural development.
Location
Ad-Dhakhliya Governorate
Client
Ministry of Heritage and Culture, Oman
Period
2012-2013
Services
Conservation strategy
Design guidance
Master-planning
Training
Documentation and Heritage Management Plans of Harat al-‘Aqr, Bahla
Bahla is one of the most important ancient sites of Oman, having been induced into the UNESCO World Heritage Site (WHS) list in 1987 due to its unique architectural and cultural characteristics. Recognisable from afar is the immense mud brick fort which towers over the oasis and is the largest of its kind in the world. All these factors, as well as the great antiquity of the site - more recently highlighted by the extensive prehistoric archaeological finds discovered within the fort and under Masjid al-Jama’a (the Friday Mosque)- have further cemented Bahla’s status as a site of global import.
As a result of several years of research at Bahla and other similar sites ArCHIAM felt that the best way to ensure sustained reuse of the settlement quarter, and thus aid in its preservation, is through making the settlement meaningful to the present and the future generations. The key to this is approaching reuse from an integrated economic, social and cultural perspective that is of relevance to all stakeholders concerned. The proposed developments should generate significant economic activity and social capital, while ensuring appropriate and sensitive interpretation of cultural and historical values of the past. It is the intention to achieve minimum destruction and limited intervention based on a careful consideration of the state of preservation of the structures within the settlement.
While in the first instance many of the houses will have to be secured from further collapse to provide a safe environment for visitors and inhabitants, a second phase should be aimed at putting a number of buildings and sites to appropriate reuse and reconstruction. As the ultimate aim is the revival of al-‘Aqr as living and selfsustained quarter, it is necessary to provide the future inhabitants with housing and business opportunities to make the settlement economically viable. Therefore, after the conservation and reconstruction of specific monumental features, a range of buildings and spaces have been suggested for reuse as eateries, shops, short-stay accommodation and other facilities. Provision is also made for a doctor’s surgery, pharmacy as well as a kindergarten and school.
Location
Ad-Dhakhliya Governorate
Client
Ministry of Heritage and Culture, Oman
Period
2012-2013
Services
Conservation strategy
Design guidance
Master-planning
Training
Documentation and Heritage Management Plans of Harat as-Sulayf, ‘Ibri
Located at about 210 km west of Muscat, the settlement of Harat as-Sulayf was a heavily fortified community located at the eastern access route to the oasis of ‘Ibri. This oasis, one of the largest in the Dhahira Governorate, forms the main point of intersection on the route east from the Rub al-Khali desert to the west and the oasis of Buraymi to the Northwest. As such the oasis of ‘Ibri has always enjoyed an important amount of commercial transit, which has had an important impact on the oasis’ relevance. Equally as-Sulayf has benefited from this trade, evidence for which is visible in the large market (suq) that lies at the foot of the settlement mound.
Harat as-Sulayf forms a cohesive and self-contained unit located within a relatively well preserved enclosure of a roughly triangular shape with towers at the corners and along longer stretches of the defensive walls. The morphology and evolution of the site were clearly determined by the steep terrain and its necessary location close to the water source of Wadi Sulayf. Gradual expansion of housing units occurred in a southward direction as well as moving up the slope, which was never fully built up.
The visionary future for Harat as-Sulayf as proposed by the master plan is to restore the vibrancy and dynamism of the community which once sat at the eastern end of the ‘Ibri oasis. By integrating tourism, commercial and educational provisions with modern water management technologies and alternative energy generation, it is possible to create a green future for the oasis. The integration of modern technologies would encourage the younger generations to learn about these while simultaneously providing affordable living costs and responsible growth towards a sustainable future.
Location
Ad-Dhakhliya Governorate
Client
Ministry of Heritage and Culture, Oman
Period
2013
Services
Conservation strategy
Design guidance
Master-planning
Training
Documentation and Heritage Management Plans of Harat al Barashid and Harat as-Sawafah, Sinaw
The Twin settlements of Harat al Ru Rashdi and Harat al-Suwawfah are located in close proximity to one another (150m) on the eastern edge of the Sinaw oasis. Sinaw itself is one of the largest oases of the Ash-Sharqiya Governorate and lies to west of the Sharqiya Desert, forming an important port of call for Bedouin traders and nomads on their journey to and from the coastal regions and the interior
Morphologically and architecturally the two settlements are somewhat distinct from one another, with Harat al Bu Rashdi exhibiting a very compact and highly organic urban layout, on contrast with Harat al-Suwawfah, which is almost uncharacteristically open-plan and generous in the proportions of it’s houses and public spaces.
The mercantile history of the oasis formed the core of ArCHIAM’s proposed master plan for the Oasis as a whole, with an aim towards catering for both the local community and visitors by expanding the souq and providing additional over-night accommodation and other residential opportunities for locals and travellers. Additionally the plans seeks to re-activate the communities by providing housing for locals and well as cultural/educational facilities such as mosques, schools, a library and a madrassah.
Location
Ad-Dhakhliya Governorate
Client
Ministry of Heritage and Culture, Oman
Period 2013 Services
Conservation strategy
Design guidance
Master-planning
Training
Documentation and Heritage Management Plans of Harat al-Jilah, Tiwi/Sur
The small mountain community of Harat al-Jilah is located in a remote valley at the top of the Wadi Shaab gorge. The settlement consists of around 20 dwellings which are perched in a semi-dispersed manner along the slope of the mountain flanking the wadi. The characteristic feature of Harat al-Jilah is its long and complex falaj network, which forms part of Oman’s Falaj World Heritage Site. The induction into the UNESCO world heritage list, and also its remote and somewhat isolated location, determine that any form of development must be carried out with great sensitivity towards the local community, natural environment and cultural context.
Given the small size of the settlement but also the great natural beauty of the wider regional context, it was decided to expand the scope to this management plan to beyond the built environment of the hārah. The Master Plan therefore includes the surrounding wādi systems (Shaab and Tiwi) as well as the Shir Plateau and its numerous archaeological sites. The aim is to emphasise the need for studying natural settings and human habitation systems together at regional scale, integrating natural, historical and contemporary concerns into a single cohesive strategy.
Location
Ad-Dhakhliya Governorate
Client
Ministry of Heritage and Culture, Oman
Period
2013
Services
Conservation strategy
Design guidance
Master-planning
Training
Documentation and Heritage Management Plans of Harat al-Mudairyb, al-Qabil
Al-MudΡayrib is located about 130km south-east of Muscat in the interior of the Ash-Sharqiya Governorate on the northern edges of the Sharqiya desert, formerly known also as the Wahiba desert. It is emplaced on the eastern banks of the Wadi AlMuΡdayrib which runs in a south-easterly direction along the foothills of the al-Hajar and Sharqiya ranges, within the administrative unit of Wilayat of al-Qabil. While the geographic location is one that provided the settlement with the copious amounts of water with which it still blessed today, the site is also located astride the important mercantile route from the port of Sur towards the great oases of the interior
Morphologically the settlement is characterised by the excellent condition of its large oasis and impressive merchant houses which attest to the wealth that this community once held. Their condition is, though abandoned, generally intact and thus could easily be adapted to modern residential requirements.
The Master Plan for Al-Mudayrib foresees the bolstering and integration of two primary sources of economic activity, focusing on the one hand on tourism and on the other on agriculture and the preservation of the oasis. These two focci are regarded as being complementary and providing opportunities for substantial local job creation as well as increasing revenue for the local economy.
Location
Ad-Dhakhliya Governorate
Client
Ministry of Heritage and Culture, Oman
Period
2014-2016
Services
Conservation strategy
Design guidance
Master-planning
Training
Documentation, Heritage and Tourism Development Plan of Misfat al-Abriyin, Al-Hamra
The small settlement of Misfāt al-‘Abriyīn is located on the southern slopes of the Hajjar Mountains of the Dhakhliya Governorate of Oman. More specifically, it is located within the administrative region of the Wilayat al-Hamra which lies about 3km to the south of Misfāt, and some two hours’ drive to the southwest of Muscat.
ArCHIAM’s approach to the issue of heritage preservation and development is geared toward a holistic understanding thereof. The intention is not purely to thematise the past for its own sake, but to instead make tradition a contemporary subject. The continued habitation of Misfāt poses a number of challenges as well as opportunities to the project the resolution of which is expected to serve as a regional model for the engagement with traditional communities. Two core factors must be taken into account in this effort:
1) The local community, which expects a raising of their living standards and infrastructural improvements though governmental support.
2) The visitor community, which expects to be given an experience of Omani culture and the traditional lifestyle.
According to MoT’s brief the Master Plan aims to provide facilities for up to 600 daily visitors, including 175 hotel beds distributed throughout the oasis. ArCHIAM’s strategy is geared towards a very high degree of community involvement via the creation of a Community Cooperative which was instrumental in determining the exact needs of the local stakeholders as well as giving a high degree of control and ownership over the implementation of the project. The Misfat Community Cooperative is active and currently managing the implementation of ArCHIAM’s Master Plan.
Location
Ad-Dhakhliya Governorate
Client
Ministry of Heritage and Culture, Oman
Period
2015-2016
Services
Conservation strategy
Design guidance
Master-planning
Training
Documentation
and Heritage Management Plans of Harat al-Wusta and Harat al-Gharbia,Salalah
The coastal city of Salalah is the capital of Dhofar Governorate and it lies along a long strip of coconut palm oasis about 1km inland from the sea. The site’s ancient mercantile pedigree is corroborated by the presence of the now-ruined Rasulid port of Al-Baleed which once controlled the frankincense trade along these shores, and which is now an important tourist centre and archaeological park.
Old Salalah is today divided into Eastern, Middle and Western quarters, all of which still contain important numbers of old merchant houses which are arranged in a semidispersed manner along the northern edge of the palm groves. These grand buildings are characterised by their imposing size and forbidding aspect, as well as elaborate internal arrangements with grand staircases and upper-level courtyards. A number of mosques, wells and tombs of notable inhabitants are also dispersed within the urban fabric and provide a degree of morphological cohesion to the urban fabric.
In recent years much of Old Salalah has become inhabited by expatriate labourers whose thriving community is largely responsible for the maintenance of the site, but also suffers under population pressure and lack of facilities and utilities such as sanitation and waste disposal.
ArCHIAM’s plan for Salalah is concentrating on the adaptive reuse of many of the ruined old structures as well as the integration of the expatriate community into the touristic, commercial and residential rehabilitations of the site.
Location
Dhofar Governorate
Client
Ministry of Heritage and Culture, Oman
Period
2015-2016
Services
Conservation strategy
Design guidance
Master-planning
Training
Documentation and Heritage Management Plans of Mirbat
The town of Mirbat is located on the coast of Dhofar, around 70km to the west of the governorate’s capital Salalah. The relative antiquity of the site is attested by a number of Early Islamic graves in the area dating to the 8th century AD, and it is likely that the area has been settled significantly longer as suggested by the presence of large numbers of Hafit-type tombs in the area.
Mirbat today is a small town of some 20.000 inhabitants with a substantial amount of development that has occurred since the 1970s. The core of the settlement, however, retains many of the grand old merchant houses which characterise the urban aspect of the town. These buildings are mostly of square plan and rise to a maximum of three stories, with the upper floors being used as the living quarters while the ground floors were most commonly used for storage. Indicative of erstwhile wealth of the community are the elaborate interior decorations of the dwellings, often rendered in stucco, and the intricately craved wooden door-frames and windows. The latter often stemmed from East Africa and the Indian Subcontinent, further highlighting the wideranging mercantile links of the Mirbat community.
While the project is still ongoing it is already evident that tourism is the most likely economic factor which will aid in the preservation of the Mirbat’s architectural heritage. Touristic development could include maritime activities such as fishing, sailing and boat charter as well, complementing the traditional fishing community
Location
Ash-Sharqiyya Governorate
Client
Ministry of Heritage and Culture, Oman
Documentation and Heritage Management Plans of Minzafah
Minzafah is part of the larger oasis of Ibra, one of the largest oasis towns of the Sharqiyya Governorate and a site of some antiquity. The size of the oasis is such that it comprises around a dozen separate urban cores of varying sizes and social importance. From among these Minzafah is one of the smaller ones, though it stands out due to the size and magnificence of its great merchant houses.
The small community of Minzafah was traditionally comprised primarily by wealthy merchants who, in the course of the 18th and 19th centuries, had made their fortunes overseas. The cosmopolitan character of this village is further evidenced by the great variety of architectural influences still visible in the houses, with obvious inspiration coming from the Indian subcontinent, East Africa and the wider Gulf Region. Of the 10 large houses that once comprised most of the village almost all have now fallen into extreme disrepair, and require major emergency conservation work to be carried out.
The remit of the project parts from a touristic development of Minzafah, the aim being to generate sufficient local revenue in order to restore and maintain the structures while also showcasing Oman’s architectural heritage.
Location
Nizwa
Client
Ministry of Heritage and Culture, Oman
Period
2004-2005
Services
Conservation strategy
Design guidance
Master-planning
Redevelopment of al-Aqr, Nizwa
Oman has a special significance of Its traditional Architecture, Spread across the Sultanate. All off them have their own rich history.
Nizwa, the capital of Oman in early era and focal point of Islamic learning, culture, trade and agriculture of interior Oman is imposing in its own style. With such rich historical backdrop, it is one of the most popular tourist spot in this country Various modernisation and beautification programme undertaken in recent past integrating with the heritage of traditional style and architecture in various landmark building and areas are highly appreciated.
The17th century fort, Husn al-’Aqr is the landmark of Nizwa located at the cofluence of two wadis Abyad & Kalbu overlooking the suq. The large friday mosque and a rectilinear sablah constitutes the religious and institutional ensemble of this urban fabric al-Aqr.
The project “Redevelopment of al-Aqr, a traditional urban fabric” is the continuation of this holistic endeavour.
Muscat Ceremonial Route: Advisory Role
This commission undertaken in collaboration with the consultants, Consulting Engineering Services (CES), Oman focused on the culmination of the Ceremonial Route near the Qasr Al ‘Alam Palace. The processional link planned between the Palace and the proposed National Museum posed numerous conflicts with the historical setting and the alignment of the city wall. An original proposal was prepared by CES in collaboration with the Central Design Office in the Diwan of Royal Court.
Soumyen Bandyopadhyay was asked to critique the proposal and suggest the necessary changes that would ensure historical continuity. This was undertaken through a written report that proposed a series of fine tunings to the plan and the manner in which the arcade should end at the ‘Square’ facing the Museum and the Ministry of Finance complex. The historic alignment of the city wall was carefully considered, and suggestions were made to ensure that key features or elements of the wall were not destroyed.
The ongoing work on relocation of structures of historic significance – both intra- and extra-muros was considered and final decisions were made regarding their exact relocation. The project also brought to light the need for a comprehensive urban renewal plan for the historic city of Muscat that took fully into account the extant structures and sites of significance and proposed a renewal plan. For this Bandyopadhyay worked out the Scope of Work on behalf of the Central Design Office for tendering purposes.
Location
Hugli River, Kolkata
Funding Body Arts and Humanities Research Council Period
Services
Hugli Heritage Management Strategy
The focus of this project are the five former trading posts and garrison settlements up the Hugli river from the megacity of Kolkata. Together they form a uniquely rich heritage corridor which is only now sporadically becoming the focus of national and individual international heritage initiatives. None, however, has built capacity in India in a sustained manner and, most importantly, none has looked to the river. This project will transform that situation. When it ends, across all five cities, heritage activists will be upskilled to international standards in the documentation and promotion of both tangible and intangible heritage, thus energising the third sector groups.
Team members will collaboratively produce a diverse toolkit of cultural documentation including a substantive Heritage Management Strategy, an hour-long documentary film, architectural drawings, a postcard book, a photographic exhibition, recorded eyewitness testimony, an augmented reality App, all underpinned by academic research and directed at securing funds for preservation and access based on mutual consent and for the benefit the greatest number of sectors in civil society. This will allow the Hugli heritage activists and owner-custodians of the grand houses of Hugli to ‘talk heritage’ with nationally and internationally accredited documentation and visuals in the local Bengali language (and in English and French) to private sector interests and to local and national government whose own heritage projects are still in the primary planning stage.
Research and Documentation
Location
M’Hamid Oasis, Morocco
Restoring, Recording and Inventorying the Tangible and Intangible Cultural Heritage of the M’Hamid Oasis, Morocco
The project aims to contribute to the preservation of the rich cultural heritage of the M’Hamid Oasis by identifying, recording and documenting key built heritage assets and associated cultural practices, while training international participants. The objectives are to:
a) restore and promote architectural and cultural heritage as a motor for local development;
b) identify and document historic sites;
c) record threats to tangible and intangible heritage;
d) record traditional building techniques and associated crafts;
e) record community perceptions, requirements and aspirations;
f) create a tentative inventory of relevant structures/open spaces as well as cultural practices, and establish their heritage values;
g) build capacity and raise awareness in traditional architecture and construction.
The villages of Ouled Youssef and M’Hamid El Ghizlane share important buildings and family ties. Across the gardens lies a marabout, a small building with a square floor plan topped by four domes, where Sidi Abdellah Khalifa, a holy man worshipped by the local community, is buried.
Both the tangible and intangible heritage of Ouled Youssef have recently become highly vulnerable as a result of irreversible physical, socio-economic and cultural change. Despite its distinct heritage and tourism potential, the village has not yet received adequate attention.
Location
M’Hamid Oasis, Morocco
Partner
Terrachidia
Association Ouled Driss de développement et de préservation de patrimoine matériel et immatériel
Period 2023-2024
Services
Research
Documentation Training
Awareness Raising
Knowledge Co-Production
Dissemination
Supporting Heritage Resilience: Digitally Aided Transmission of Traditional Earth Building Crafts in Southern Morocco
The project addresses the challenges posed to the earth-built heritage of Southern Morocco by aridification, migration, dwindling interest in traditional life, changing life requirements and aspirations, over-reliance on concrete construction and lack of formal training and intergenerational knowledge transfer.
Using M’Hamid Oasis as a case study, the project aims to support heritage resilience by generating awareness of the tangible and intangible heritage richness of this place, building capacity in documentation and restoration of vernacular earthen architecture, documenting traditional crafts and practices.
Working to the spirit of UNESCO’s 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, the project documents the traditional knowledge associated with the making, maintenance and repair of earthen buildings and digitally aids transmission to ensure its survival and counter the loss of workmanship.
The main outcome of the project is Heres, a bilingual (English/Moroccan Arabic) digital, interactive, multimedia construction manual co-produced with traditional bearers in Ksar Ouled Driss. Heres documents the local traditional earth building techniques and sheds light on the socio-cultural and religious practices associated with their execution as well as the hidden role played by women. Heres is aimed to aid and complement the oral transmission and on-site learning and application of traditional building methods.
Location Najaf
Client
Ministry of Tourism, Oman Period
Documenting the Endangered Reed Architecture of the Iraqi Marshes
The reed architecture of Marsh Arabs of southern Iraq represents the survival of one of the oldest known building traditions in the world.
The most distinctive architectural form is the Mudhif; a large meeting hall, usually commissioned by a sheikh and used for community gatherings and the entertainment of guests. These halls are made entirely of reed, consisting of a long tunnel-like structure formed by large reed arches bound together under tension. Between these arches, woven reed mats form the walls and roofs of the mudhif, while the end walls often feature elaborately woven designs. In-depth knowledge of the various reeds which grow in the Iraqi marshes are also essential as different types of reeds are needed for different structural components.
Having barely survived the deliberate draining of the marshes in the 1990s, the Marsh Arab communities now face an even greater threat; climate change and dam building, which have reduced the flow of water into the marshes to a critical level. The project documents the reed structures, the method of construction and the specialist knowledge required. The latter includes issues such as what sort of reed is used for what part of the building, what time of year building takes place and how the work is organised.
The buildings are recorded through photogrammetry (drone and handheld) and through the production of detailed diagrammatic records.
Location
Najaf, Iraq
Funding Body
The British Institute for the Study of Iraq Period
Documenting the Endangered Historic Houses of Najaf
The project focuses on the historic houses of Najaf, a city in central Iraq shaped by Islamic learning and pilgrimage, with the aim to document and understand the rapidly disappearing traditional domestic architecture of its old town. The project examines how these houses -characterised by their intricate wooden shanasheel, lightweight upper storeys, and unique multi-chambered subterranean serdabs –reflect local adaptations to climate, as well as broader cultural, social, and economic transformations.
Extensive
Drawings
The project specifically investigates both the above-ground and subterranean architectural features of Najaf’s historic houses, their construction techniques, and their significance within the urban fabric, spanning centuries of development. While much has been written about Najaf’s religious and historical importance, the role of its domestic architecture in shaping urban life remains underexplored.
Documentation will help to raise awareness of Najaf’s disappearing heritage, may encourage action to preserve some structures, and will provide a permanent record of buildings which may soon be lost.
Research and Digitisation
LSA Digital Collections Repository
The theme of the digitised collections is architecture, architectural heritage, landscape and ethnography in South and South-West Asia. It includes a comprehensive range of architectural drawings (documentation, design and construction phases) as well as slides and photographs of distinct structures and cultural settings for the above regions.
The material selected for digitisation was sourced by ArCHIAM from distinguished academics and professionals in architecture, archaeology, anthropology and geography. All digitised material comes from previously unpublished private collections. The digitisation has taken place both on campus in the University of Liverpool and international partner locations. In both cases, digitisation experts from the University have been in charge of quality control in the digitisation process and in recording the metadata associated with the digitised material.
This digitisation initiative is the result of ArCHIAM’s work supported by the David Foster Wicks Endowment Fund. The work has seen the development of a web based interface that allows browsing and searching the digitised material as well as the digitisation of 3 initial collections.
The Gulf Architecture Project (GAP)
Qatar National Library, in association with ArCHIAM Centre at the University of Liverpool, has launched the Project (GAP) in collaboration with local and international partners to create a unique open-access digital repository of historical photographs, films and audio recordings, drawings, maps and 3D digital content on the traditional architecture of Qatar and the Gulf, supported by research and metadata content development.
GAP will investigate the architecture, urbanism, material culture, archaeology, sociocultural history and ethnography of the Region by bringing together a variety of records from vulnerable collections identifiable internationally into a cohesive and comprehensive “digital knowledge platform” hosted by the Qatar Digital Library (QDL).
GAP will synthesise the existing bodies of literature, audio/video recordings and visual assets, with the aim to preserve this valuable material from the threats of their uncertain ownership status, the absence of any cataloguing or plans for their preservation.
GAP employs a global team of experts led by the ArCHIAM Centre, who will be working closely with Qatar National Library team to engage in literature review, archival research and collections acquisition in Qatar, the Gulf, UK, Europe and USA.
Design
Location
Client
Salut Museum Concept Design Proposal
Husn Salut is an archaeological site in close proximity to Jabreen in the Al Dakhiliyah region of Oman. Salut archaeological site is a home to an ancient fortified collection of ruins and fortifications, some of which date to over 3,000 years ago, and which offer important evidence of the development civilizations in the Arabic peninsula in the Bronze and Iron ages.
The Salut plain, which consists of a group of Bronze Age sites, is located along the east side of the plain formed by the Wadi Seyfam. Three Bronze Age towers of 20-25 m diametre, are located along the east side of the plain, built of large stone masonry blocks.
The design proposal addresses the demand for a world-class museum which will celebrate Oman’s glorious past as well Renaissance to be strategically located in one of the most important historical sites in the country, Salut, where permanent human settlement developed since the end of the 4th millennium B.C.
Husn Salut
Office of the Adviser to His Majesty the Sultan for Cultural Affairs
Muscat, Sultanate of Oman
Location Salalah, Dhofar
Client Ghassani Family
Period 2016 -2019
Services
Restoration
Adaptive reuse
Development of appropriate adaptive reuse and restoration approaches for Salalah (Bait As-Sail House)
Situated at the core of Salalah’s heritage quarter stands the partially ruined residence of the Ghassani family. Bait al-Sail dates in its origins to late 18th century, and has been gradually expanded to become one of the largest old houses in Salalah. After having fallen into disuse and suffering from some structural collapse the Ghassani family felt it was necessary to protect this important piece of family heritage, and give it a new lease of life.
ArCHIAM’s in-depth survey of the property was coupled with the documentation of Salalah’s heritage quarter, and thus included the entire cultural and architectural context of the site, providing an exhaustive understanding of project’s background. Resulting from this analytical study of Salalah it was decided, together with the client, to give Bait al-Sail a semi-public function, acting on the one hand as a gathering place for the family, while also showcasing the property to visitors.
The design comprises modern materials and facilities with a traditional understanding of space and privacy. Perforated screens and generous light-wells illuminate and ventilate the interior spaces, providing an open sensation to an otherwise enclosed private space.
Location
Misfat al-Abriyin
Funder
Bank Muscat
Collaborator
Architectural Wall Systems
Period
2017-2020
Services
Restoration
Adaptive reuse
Recognitions
ICCROM Sharjah Award 2024 Shortlist
UNWTO Best Tourism Village Award 2021
Rehabilitation, Reuse and Restoration of Traditional Structures and Open Spaces at Misfat Al Abriyin – Wilayat al Hamra
The Rehabilitation, Reuse and Restoration of Traditional Structures and Open Spaces at Misfat al-Abriyin, a partially inhabited mountain oasis 200kms southwest of the capital, is the first tourism and heritage management project realised in Oman. The masterplan, commissioned by the Ministry of Tourism, was followed by the realisation of Phase-1, supported by Bank Muscat’s Corporate Social Responsibility scheme.
The key questions addressed through design were how:
• tourism and heritage management of remote oasis settlements could be approached;
• sustainable development could shape master-planning and architectural design;
• the social history and culture of the Oman Mountains could inform master-plann ing, urban and architectural interventions;
• community input could shape heritage management, master planning and architectural interventions;
• contemporary architectural aspirations and use could be integrated with the demands of conservation.
Phase-1 plan incorporated ideas from community workshops. The architectural designs have explored how elements representing contemporary material and architectonic aspirations (concrete; staircase design), and new programme can be brought into dialogue with the restored ‘old’. Masterplan proposed taking Misfat entirely off-grid, employing renewable energy sources, while buildings have used passive cooling systems extensively.
National Museum, Oman
The National Museum of the Sultanate of Oman was established under a Royal Decree, issued on November 20, 2013. It opened its doors on July 30, 2016, and is an excellent showcase of Oman’s cultural heritage dating back two million years.
The National Museum is considered to be a vital project that aims to achieve a cultural and humanitarian mission, raising public awareness, cementing the Omani noble values, activating the belonging of the citizen, resident and visitor to Oman, its history, heritage, culture and developing their creative and intellectual abilities.
ArCHIAM was invited to contribute to the exhibitions both with presentation material (drawings, still images and animations), the curation of parts of the galleries and the development of contents for incorporation into touch screens.
Architecture on the Fringes Exhibition
Architecture on the Fringes, an exhibition exploring vernacular settlements across Oman, was organized in conjunction with New Frontiers in Gulf Urbanism, a symposium co-sponsored by the Aga Khan Documentation Center and the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture at MIT.
Based on extensive documentation and research undertaken by the ArCHIAM Centre on more than twenty vernacular settlements across Oman, this exhibition aims to address both the preconditions and the interactions that helped shape the distinctive nature of settlements and architecture on these fringes and within the core of Oman. It aims to highlight the complex interconnections that existed between the boundaries and the core through the exchange of peoples, ideas and artefacts.
Exceeding natural topography, the exhibition adopts the encompassing notion of topography as a wider, socio-culturally charged horizon of physical and spatial conditions that both underpin and trace human action. Accordingly, this exhibition consists of four sections that explore these topographic permeations and their influence, in turn, on settlement formation and architecture: Water and Topography; Culture and Religion; Social Mosaic; Trade and Exchange.
Location Misfat al-Abriyin
Funder Bank Muscat
Period 2017
Services
Activities design, planing and delivery
Awards
Best Tourism Village 2021
ICCROM-Sharjah Award 2023-24 Shortlist
Redesigning an Existing Building & Rethinking Harat al-Shua Participatory Design Workshops
A participatory design workshop was held in July 2017 in Misfāt al-Abriyin with the aim of actively involving the local community in decision-making towards the design of selected open spaces and buildings. The participatory methods consisted in workshop activities meant to gauge and record participants’ expectations and include them in the design process.
The focus of the workshop was on programmatic aspects. To this purpose participants were divided into small groups comprised of children from the age of 4, teenagers and male adults.
The workshops started with a reconnaissance tour of the sites during which participants were also briefed in Arabic about the workshop’s aims.
Architectural and Urban Forms of the Islamic World Lecture Series
This series of lectures aims to present a comparative picture of urban and architectural form across the vast geographical region commonly referred to as the Islamic World.
Examples from both the so-called ‘high’ and ‘peripheral’ Islamic traditions are presented in the lectures, aiming at providing a thorough understanding of both the distinctiveness and diversity of outlying cultures and their established architectural practices. Alongside examples drawn from the great centres of Islamic culture, such as Aleppo, Cairo, Delhi, Herat and Isfahan, various sites from Oman in the Arabian Peninsula are presented here to highlight the richness of Islamic architecture and urbanism. Notions of integrated restoration and rehabilitation, which bring together preservation and developmental concerns, as well as community engagement are addressed in these lectures.
The material presented in these lectures was collected from different archival sources, mainly the AKTC and related agencies of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), as well as primary material on Oman held by the ArCHIAM Centre.
The Aga Khan Documentation Centre, MIT Libraries, was a main archival source, as well as the open access resource Archnet.org.
Architecture and Urban Development of the Deccan Sultanate Lecture Series
The Deccan Sultanates (5 independent sultanates, 1490-1689) remain relatively poorly researched, especially in terms of the extent of their architectural and urban contributions beyond a handful of well-known monuments.
This series of lectures aims to bring this distinctive mediaeval Islamic time period in India into sharper focus, drawing from both existing research material, as well as research undertaken specifically for this project at the mediaeval city of Bijapur in the state of Karnataka, with logistical support from the Indian Heritage Cities Network Foundation (IHCN-F).
Focusing on key Islamic civic buildings, a comprehensive resource base has been created for the production of this lectures series, which will be made available open access through Archnet website hosted by MIT (https://archnet.org).
The lectures will be disseminated, with additional support from AKTC, at universities and civic bodies in the Karnataka region and more widely in India.
Decoration and Construction of Omani Traditional Architecture & Omani Aflaj Educational Children Workshops
In July 2019, ArCHIAM held two workshops for children in collaboration with the National Museum of Oman’s Learning Centre. The workshops, Decoration and Construction of Omani Traditional Architecture and Omani Aflaj, revolved around the content of the Civilization in the Making and Aflaj Galleries.
The activities were designed with a research-driven learning approach in mind, which aimed to actively involve the children in creative processes while broadening and enhancing their understanding and knowledge of Omani traditional architecture and the ancient aflaj irrigation system.
The workshops offered participants an opportunity to learn by doing in an effective and enjoyable way, and provide a sensory experience by engaging them with different materials and textures.
The Gulf Architecture Project (GAP) Exhibition
In October 2019, Qatar National Library held an international conference and exhibition on Gulf architecture, organized in collaboration with Liverpool University’s School of Architecture, Qatar University’s Department of Architecture and Urban Planning, and Ibrahim Jaidah, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Architect, Arab Engineering Bureau.
Building on documentation and research undertaken by the GAP Team at the University of Liverpool on traditional urbanism and architecture in Qatar, Oman, UAE and Eastern Saudi Arabia, this exhibition highlights key findings from the Gulf Architecture Project.
The aim is to examine how Gulf indigenous societies, as well as trade and migration flows between Qatar, Arabia and the wider world, interacted and shaped Gulf Arab urbanism, architecture and material culture before the time of oil and immediately afterwards.
Accordingly, the exhibition is organised into four sections – landscape, infrastructure, urbanism, architecture – which analyse common traits and trends across the Gulf Region from a macro- and multi-scale perspective. Sub-sections identify countryspecific natural and man-made settings, settlement and dwelling patterns, building types and infrastructure systems.
This virtual exhibition showcases the heritage of the historic oasis settlement (harah) of al-Bilad in Manah oasis, central Oman. The settlement is a fine example of fortified town on the desert borderlands, pierced by four gateways, surrounded by a stone and mudbrick wall, and with two formidable watchtowers. Along its three main streets feature mosques, meeting halls, shop and madrasahs. In the Islamic period Manah remained a bastion of Ibadi scholarship, even when the physical extent of the Ibadi state had shrunk to its smallest. However, the most important contribution of that period was the school of craftsmen based in the settlement. The four mosques of alBilad contain exquisitely decorated prayer niches (mihrab) from the early 16th century, executed by a local craftsman who was invited to decorate prayer niches all over the ad-Dakhiliyah and ash-Sharqiyyah regions of Oman.
The project aims, on the one hand, to raise awareness on the importance of Harat alBilad in Oman’s history as well as in the urban, architectural and artistic development of its Interior region, and, on the other hand, to deliver a user-friendly, freely accessible, research-informed digital resource that will allow to meaningfully experience the settlement’s heritage.
Harat al- Bilad: A Virtual Exhibition
Location
Konnagar, India
Partner
CAVA Research Centre
Konnagar Municipal Council
INTACH - Hoogly Chapter
Victoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata
Funder
Research
Modernity, Nationhood and the Unconscious Abanindranath Tagore and the Garden House in Konnagar
The Abanindranath Tagore Garden House in Konnagar, near Kolkata, is a typical nineteenth century Bengali riverside garden house (bagan-bari) overlooking the Hooghly River. The house belonged to the renowned Indian family of Abanindranath Tagore (1871-1951) and played a vital role in the artistic life and expression of the family, including Abanindranath and his nephews Jyotirindranath and Dwijendranath Tagore. The house was one of the many bagan-baris that the Tagores used as resorts and that emerged as socio-cultural hotspots in Bengal of that time.
This virtual exhibition, hosted in Abanindranath Tagore Garden House in Konnagar, is a tribute to the internationally renowned painter, Abanindranath Tagore. It is a pilot virtual museum platform consisting of a location-based Augmented Reality (AR) and an online, interactive 3D experience of the museum. ‘Exhibits’ combining bilingual text – English and Bengali – and images – photographic and drawn – provide a contextualised historical and cultural experience.
This project aimed to co-create knowledge, build capacity, enhance diffusion networks and raise awareness about Abanindranath Tagore’s contribution to India’s art and culture history, with an ambition to scale up virtual museum experiences for several museums and galleries across India.
Khan Award for Architecture
Khan Trust for Culture
of Architecture
Inclusive, Sustainable, Innovative
Aga Khan Award for Architecture 2022 & ArCHIAM 10-years
The Aga Khan Award for Architecture 2022 exhibition presents, through panels, film screenings, and publications, the 14 shortlisted projects and six winning projects from the 2020-2022 award cycle, examples of architectural excellence that combines creative aspirations with deep social concern.
An extraordinary diversity of designers and approaches across 16 countries demonstrate how it is possible to reimagine reality, charting new territories, possibilities, and directions by promoting ways in which environmental impact and innovation can be fully embedded in design and procurement processes, protecting people and places and thereby showcasing responses to future crises, disasters, and conflicts.
The ArCHIAM 10-years exhibition presents the work of the University of Liverpool’s ArCHIAM Centre, situated at the intersection between research, impact, teaching, and design practice.
The exhibition is organised in thematic sections that showcase the centre’s engagement in world-leading heritage research and teaching, management and design, interpretation and dissemination, underpinned by public engagement and capacity building. It evidences ArCHIAM’s contribution to the theoretical and practical, multidisciplinary exploration of the interweavings between cultural heritage and sustainability.
Capacity Building
Location
M’Hamid Oasis
Partner
Terrachidia
Association Ouled Driss de développement et de préservation de patrimoine matériel et immatériel
Period
2023
Services
Activities design, planning and delivery
Booklet design
M’Hamid, Morocco: Your Heritage, Your Future
In January 2023, ArCHIAM, in collaboration with Terrachidia, ran the children educational workshop M’Hamid, Morocco: Your Heritage, Your Future attended by 23 schoolchildren between 8 and 12 years from Ksar Ouled Driss, M’Hamid Oasis.
The aim of the workshop was to share knowledge and raise awareness about the cultural heritage of the oasis, while enhancing knowledge of specific elements of the curriculum through heritage-focused activities. Through model-making, drawing, collaging and quizzes, kids learnt about geometry and construction in local traditional architecture, couscous preparation, oasis agriculture and their role in the CO2 cycle.
In addition to making architectural models and drawings children learnt about their heritage and understood that they must cherish it because it embodies traces of their ancestors.
Location
Various sites in
Muscat Governorate
Funder
Muscat Municipality
Period
2013-2014
Services
Documentation
Training
Documentation
of vernacular settlements in the Muscat Governorate
The aim of this capacity building program was to train a small group of recent graduates from the Oman Technical College to undertake the field activity. The key focus was the development of fieldwork and documentation skills, such as sketching, measuring and photographing structures, domestic and civic spaces and assessing their state of preservation. Aerial photographic images provided the basis for speedy and accurate on-site documentation. 12 settlements were identified for Muscat Governorate by Ministry of Heritage.
The participants have been given around five months of training in basic sketching, measuring and photography techniques for the accurate representation and documentation of the Omani vernacular built environment. Particular attention has been given to the establishment of homogeneous architectural drawing conventions and standards of representation, for which a set of documentation guidelines were developed for use on site.
These exercises not only have the beneficial effect of providing the participants with the necessary means to engage in heritage documentation, but they also aid in creating a greater sense of awareness and involvement with ancient sites and their protection.
Location
Mysore and Srirangapatna
Partner
Mysore School of Architecture
The Mysore/Srirangapatna Heritage Documentation and Development Project
Built by the rulers of the Ganga Dynasty in the 9th century, the Srirangapatna is today one the most important pilgrimage sites in southern India. In 1799 the city was witness to the so-called Siege of Seringapatam, which resulted in the East India Company’s final victory over the Kingdom of Mysore and its leader Tipu Sultan, consolidating British rule over most of southern India.
The aim of this project was the documentation of the religious temple town of Srirangapatna near Mysore, in southern India, in collaboration with the staff and students of Mysore School of Architecture (MSA).
Beyond its academic importance as a site of architectural and historical relevance, Srirangapatna faces a number of issues arising from the rapid demographic growth of its population and visitor numbers. Additionally, modern pressures such as the requirement for improved sanitation, running water, electricity and vehicular access are confronting the ancient architectural fabric with serious challenges which are often solved haphazardly or through outright demolition and reconstruction.
Location
M’Hamid Oasis, Morocco
Partner
Terrachidia
Period
2017-2024
Services Documentation Restoration Training
Recording and Documentation of Earthen Architectural Heritage of Morocco
M’Hamid, the most remote in the Draa Valley, Southern Morocco, features one of the best preserved examples of ksour, vernacular earthen settlements surrounded by high defensive walls and reinforced by corner towers. Built on a fishbone pattern, ksour enclose tightly knit courtyard houses as well as community buildings and spaces such as mosques, souqs and gates. Outside are the palm tree groves, often punctuated by marabouts, shrines marking the burial place of a Muslim holy man or hermit.
Since 2017 ArCHIAM has been collaborating with Terrachidia, a Spanish cultural organization active in the preservation and dissemination of M’Hamid’s rich cultural heritage, by contributing to their workshops “Restoration, Recording and Documentation of Earthen Architectural Heritage” through training in documentation methods for vernacular earthen settlements and talks in heritage development principles and approaches, and participatory design strategies and methods.
Documentation campaigns in Ksar Ouled Driss and Ksar Ouled Youssef have resulted in the survey of gates, street frontages, internal streets, souqs and various dwellings through the production of measured plan, section and elevation sketches. Field sketches have been later developed into visualisations, 2D rendered drawings and 3D digital models.
Getty International Course on the Conservation of Earthen Architecture
In November 2018 and 2022, the Getty Conservation Institute organised an international course on conservation of earthen architecture led by local and international experts.
The course was held in the World Heritage City of Al Ain, UAE, and in Nizwa, Oman. The earthen heritage of Al Ain was used as an open-air laboratory to learn practical, hands-on methods for preserving earthen buildings and archaeological sites. Through lectures, discussions, laboratory sessions, demonstrations, site visits and field exercises, participants learnt fundamental theories of conservation as well as advances in technology and research that have influenced practical approaches to earthen architecture conservation.
During the course Prof Bandyopadhyay held lectures, guided discussions, led demonstrations and site visits to Harat as-Sulayf, Ibri, al-Hamra and the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Harat al-Aqr, Bahla Fort and Oasis, and also field survey at the course case study site, the historic walled settlement of Harat al-Bilad, Manah.
Al Ain, UAE
Nizwa, Oman
CENTRE FOR THE STUDY OF ARCHITECTURE AND CULTURAL HERITAGE OF INDIA, ARABIA AND THE MAGHREB
www.archiam.co.uk | info@archiam.co.uk | +44 (0)777 139 0552 The University of Liverpool, School of Architecture 25 Abercromby Square
Liverpool L69 7ZN, United Kingdom
