Hassan Fathy and Continuity in Islamic Arts and Architecture: The Birth of a New Modern

247 Pages·2010·81.889 MB·English

by  Ahmad Hamid

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Ahmad Hamid
The American University in Cairo Press
Cairo New York
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Illustration credits:
Courtesy Aga Khan Trust for Culture: figs. 1, 2, 8, 11–15, 98, 99, 104, pls. 3–10, 12; Rare Books and
Special Collections Library, American University in Cairo: figs. 3, 16, 18, 21, 24, 25, 28–31, 34–38,
40–42, 44–54, 56–60, 66, 72, 75, 77, 81, 82, 90, 93, 97, 100, 101, pls. 1, 2, 11, 13; Ahmad Hamid:
figs. 4, 5, 6, 9, 17, 19, 20, 22, 23, 27, 32, 33, 39, 43, 55, 61–64, 68–71, 73, 76, 78–80, 83–85,
89, 91, 92, 94, 95, 96, 102, 103; Ahmad El Leithy: fig. 7; Mamdouh Sakr: fig. 10; Essam Safey El
Din: fig. 26; Hesham Labib: fig. 65; Adel al-Siwi: fig. 67; Thames & Hudson: fig. 74; Institut français
d’archéologie orientale (IFAO): fig. 88.
First published in 2010 by
The American University in Cairo Press
113 Sharia Kasr el Aini, Cairo, Egypt
420 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10018
www.aucpress.com
Copyright © 2010 Ahmad Hamid
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,
or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Dar el Kutub No. 13822/09
ISBN 978 977 416 341 8
Dar el Kutub Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Hamid, Ahmad
Hassan Fathy and Continuity in Islamic Art and Architecture: The Birth of a New Modern /
Ahmad Hamid.—Cairo: The American University in Cairo Press, 2009
p. cm.
ISBN 978 977 416 341 8
1. Fathy, Hassan, 1900–1989 2. Architecture, Islamic—Egypt
3. Architects—Egypt 4. Muslim Architects—Egypt I. Title
720.92
1 2 3 4 5 6 15 14 13 12 11 10
Designed by Fatiha Bouzidi
Printed in Egypt
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To Truth seekers and lovers alike
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CoNTeNTs
List of Illustrations ix
Foreword Axel Langer xv
Acknowledgments xix
Introduction xxiii
1. The Hibernation of a Tradition 1
Fabricating the opposition between the Traditional
and the Modern 3
The Divorce between the Traditional and the Modern 4
2. The Institutionalization of Islamic Art and Architecture
by the Aga Khan Foundation 9
Nineteenth- to Twentieth-Century Western Attitudes
to Muslim Culture 11
Positive and Negative Influences of the Award on
the Practice and Theory of Islamic Art and Architecture 15
vii
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Limited Understanding of Modernity, Westernization,
and Technology 19
Absence of a Coherent Modern Muslim Worldview 35
Distorted Teaching of Architecture of the Muslim World 38
effects on Contemporary scholarly Thinking 42
3. Hassan Fathy: A Condenser of an Older Intelligence 45
Discernment and the Process of Decision Making 46
The synthesis of the Delightful with the Functional 49
The social Contract and the Muslim Architect 107
Modernity Neither Western nor eastern 120
Critical Regionalism: The Birth of a New ‘Modern’ 139
4. Toward a New Islamic Art and Architecture 149
Approaches to Continuity Today 150
ephemeral Forms and Permanent Practices 162
Notes 175
Bibliography 185
Index 199
viii Contents
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ILLUsTRATIoNs
Figures
1. First Aga Khan Award Cycle, 1980.
2. National Commerical Bank, Jeddah, by skidmore, owings, and Merrill.
3. Architectural plan of sidi Krier house, by Hassan Fathy, 1971.
4. sidi Krier house, 1971, by Hassan Fathy, 1971.
5. sidi Krier house, 1971, by Hassan Fathy, 1971.
6. open Buffet exhibit poster, 1998, by salah enani.
7. Ismaili Centre, Dubai, by Rami al-Dahan and soheir Farid, 2007.
8. Book cover of Aga Khan awards publication, 1990.
9. Ahmad Hassanein Pasha Mausoleum, 1946, by Hassan Fathy.
10. oxford Centre for Islamic studies, by Abdel Wahed el-Wakil.
11. Nubian Museum Aswan, by Mahmoud el Hakim.
12. Tuwaiq Palace, Riyadh, by Frei otto, oHo joint venture, 1985.
13. Hilltop restaurant, al-Azhar Park, Cairo, 2004, by Rami al-Dahan
and soheir Farid.
14. Lakeside café, al-Azhar Park, Cairo, 2004, by serge santelli.
15. Volumetric compositions, Iran and Uzbekistan.
ix
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