Spaces for Women in Mosques: Past, Present and Future (w/ Prof. Bernard O'Kane, The American University in Cairo)
When and Where
Speakers
Description
The Department of Art History is pleased to present a guest lecture on Wednesday, May 1, 2024:
Spaces for Women in Mosques: Past, Present and Future (w/ Prof. Bernard O'Kane, The American University in Cairo)
Outline:
Shortly after the middle of the twentieth century it became the norm to include gender separated areas for prayer within mosques. What were the societal impulses or changes that led to this? The talk explores first the historical debates around the presence of women in mosques, and the extent, if any, to which these have been reflected in mosque design. What forms did these separated areas take? What are the architectural consequences of this separation? What discussion around this issue has arisen recently in both Muslim majority and Muslim minority countries? What role might the clients, patron or architect have in designing for greater gender inclusivity in the mosque? This talk explores some of these issues with references to mosques from around the world.
Bio:
Bernard O’Kane is a professor of Islamic Art and Architecture at The American University in Cairo. He has also been a visiting professor at Harvard University and the University of California at Berkeley. He is the author of eleven books including The Mosques of Egypt, The Illustrated Guide to the Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo, Timurid Architecture in Khurasan and Mosques: the 100 Most Iconic Islamic Houses of Worship.
