Architecture, Power And Religion In Lebanon (rafiq Hariri And The Politics Of Sacred Space In Beirut)

By (author) Ward Vloeberghs; By (author) Vloeberghs Ward
Short description/annotation:
In Architecture, Power and Religion in Lebanon, Ward Vloeberghs explores Rafiq Hariri’s patronage and posthumous legacy to demonstrate how built fabric becomes a tool to convey political messages in contemporary Lebanon.
Description:
In Architecture, Power and Religion in Lebanon, Ward Vloeberghs explores Rafiq Hariri’s patronage and his posthumous legacy to demonstrate how religious architecture becomes a site for power struggles in contemporary Beirut. By tracing the 150 year-long history of the Muhammad al-Amin Mosque – Lebanon’s principal Sunni mosque – and the subsequent development of the site as a commemoration venue, this account offers a unique illustration of how architecture, religion and power become discursively and visually entangled. Set in a multi-confessional society marked by social inequalities and political fragmentation, this interdisciplinary study analyses how architectural practice and urban reconfigurations reveal a nascent personality cult, communal mourning, and the consolidation of political territory in relation to constantly shifting circumstances.
Biographical note:
Ward Vloeberghs studied Arab & Islamic Studies and Politics. He is currently a Senior Lecturer in Political Science at the Erasmus University College in Rotterdam and focuses on political sociology in the Arab world.