Thesis defence: Ali Salama

Abstract:

Wahdat al wujud—loosely translated as unity of being—is a Sufi philosophical concept that refers to the oneness or collectivity of our entire consciousness. This thesis aims to reframe our understanding of space through an exploration of wahdat al wujud. Today, our modern societies and spaces overwhelmingly neglect our unity of being. Capitalism clouds our hearts so that empathy and care become commodities we don’t want to spend, and the increasingly fast pace of daily life leaves little room for reflection on the great loss of our collectivity. We grow more alienated and become increasingly distant from one another and the world at large. Our spaces only further this alienation, neglecting their vital role as the realizers of our interconnected being.

Architecture is a cosmological act. Samer Akkach talks about how cosmology and architecture were intimately tied in the premodern Islamic tradition.  Spaces reflected our understanding of the universe and fostered our place within it. The link between cosmology and architecture has been lost to our modern conceptions of the practice. The Moroccan madrasa and Zellige tiles serve as reminders and key case studies of this link, connecting architecture with the cosmological view of wahdat al wujud. 
The Moroccan madrasa is a space of teaching and learning based around a central courtyard where students congregate. The courtyard is adorned by intricate enamelled terracotta tiles, known as Zellige. The spatial configuration of the madrasa symbolically reflects the philosophy of wahdat al wujud at the cosmic scale; connecting God, human and world. At the same time, its phenomenological qualities nurture a profound experience of awe and belonging as a part of this wahdat al wujud. In the madrasa, our entire perception of existence is redefined: being becomes a collective experience and not an individual one; we perceive ourselves as part of a communal oneness, akin to the Sufi analogy of being drops in the ocean. 

To break the cycle of alienating architecture, we need to rediscover the link between cosmology and architecture. If our architecture fosters a vision of communal being, our built environment can instead perpetuate a cycle of collective belonging. Architecture is not just a backdrop for human activity but the essential conduit that shapes and defines our entire existence. It can reconnect us to our fundamental unity, fostering our empathy and care for one another and the world at large.

The examining committee is as follows:

Supervisor: Tara Bissett
Committee member: Robert Jan Van Pelt
Internal-external reader: Jaliya Fonseka
External: M. Shobhana Xavier

The defence examination will take place:
Wednesday, July 31, 2024, 1:00 p.m.
In-person, - ARC1110 - Founders Lounge.
A copy of the thesis is available for perusal in ARC 2106A.