[ePub] National Treasure (Pop Classics) by Lindsay Gibb in Arts-Photography

Description

Kishwar Rizvi; drawing on the multifaceted history of the Middle East; offers a richly illustrated analysis of the role of transnational mosques in the construction of contemporary Muslim identity. As Rizvi explains; transnational mosques are structures built through the support of both government sponsorship; whether in the home country or abroad; and diverse transnational networks. By concentrating on mosques--especially those built at the turn of the twenty-first century--as the epitome of Islamic architecture; Rizvi elucidates their significance as sites for both the validation of religious praxis and the construction of national and religious ideologies.Rizvi delineates the transnational religious; political; economic; and architectural networks supporting mosques in Saudi Arabia; Iran; Turkey; and the United Arab Emirates; as well as in countries within their spheres of influence; such as Pakistan; Syria; and Turkmenistan. She discerns how the buildings feature architectural designs that traverse geographic and temporal distances; gesturing to far-flung places and times for inspiration. Digging deeper; however; Rizvi reveals significant diversity among the mosques--whether in a Wahabi-Sunni kingdom; a Shi8219;i theocratic government; or a republic balancing secularism and moderate Islam--that repudiates representations of Islam as a monolith. Mosques reveal alliances and contests for influence among multinational corporations; nations; and communities of belief; Rizvi shows; and her work demonstrates how the built environment is a critical resource for understanding culture and politics in the contemporary Middle East and the Islamic world.