Heritage Session speaker include:

15.40 Heritage Session 1:

Chairman: Professor Mohammed Al Uzri, IBBC Health and Education Advisor;  Panellists: Mr Richard Wilding, Royal Geographical Society; Dr William Deadman Durham  University, Professor Rajwan Al-Maiyali, University of Al-Qadisiyah

16.20 Heritage Session 2:  Chairman: Professor Mohammed Al Uzri, IBBC Health and Education Advisor;  Panellists: Dr Rosalind Haddon PhD, BISI, Ms Maysoon Al-Damluji, BISI, Dr Mary Shepperson,  The University of Liverpool & BISI Council Member, Dr Zuhair Nasar, The University of Kufa

Exhibition:

Darb Zubaydah, Endangered Heritage in Iraq

Curated by Richard Wilding in association with the University of Al-Qadisiyah

The annual hajj pilgrimage to Makkah is one of the five pillars of Islam and ranks among the most significant religious journeys in the world. For centuries before the advent of air travel, pilgrims travelled long distances by land and sea.

The hajj route connecting Kufa and Baghdad to Makkah and Madinah grew in importance during the first hundred years of the Abbasid Caliphate from 750 to 850 CE. It became known as the Darb Zubaydah in honour of Zubaydah bint Jafar, wife of the Caliph Harun Al-Rashid, recognising enhancements made to the route’s infrastructure under her patronage.

The pilgrim station of Umm Al-Qurun is the first surviving rest-stop heading south from Kufa. It includes a unique example of a manara, or lighthouse, built to guide pilgrims travelling by night.

Funding from ASOR (American Society of Overseas Research) has allowed a project team, led by Rajwan Al-Maiyali from the University of Al-Qadisiyah and heritage consultant Richard Wilding, to complete emergency protection of the manara. The team has also undertaken documentation of all structures at Umm Al-Qurun and community engagement with local stakeholders.

This exhibition will show Richard’s photographs of Umm Al-Qurun and related sites in Iraq, highlighting some of the challenges and opportunities for heritage preservation. It will also look at revitalisation initiatives undertaken further south on the Darb Zubaydah route in Saudi Arabia.
www.richardwilding.com
https://arc.qu.edu.iq