Contemporary Islamic gardens and cultural identity: Three case studies from North America and Europe

This dissertation explores the development of Islamic gardens as a global phenomenon in the contemporary world. I argue that Islamic gardens are not restricted to particular locations, cultures, or environments; instead, they can be adapted in different parts of the world, including in places that are not primarily Muslim. To demonstrate this expansion, three contemporary Islamic gardens located in Europe and North America are examined through site observation, interviews, and a review of primary and secondary sources. These cases are the Mughal Garden in Bradford, UK; the Bakewell Ottoman Garden in St. Louis, US; and the Aga Khan Park in Toronto, Canada. In particular, the case studies are intended to demonstrate the role of the designers and patrons in constructing the identity of Islamic gardens in North America and Europe. An in-depth examination of the case studies shows the effect of globalization, tourism, and the flow of people in the creation of Islamic parks and gardens in the Western context. In forming this identity, the designers deliberately connected their design, both physically and conceptually, to the past by using various interpretation techniques. However, the transposition of the Islamic garden to a global context has required certain negotiations with local cultural, geographical, and climatic conditions to produce a meaningful experience and prevent cultural alienation. These adaptations reveal the flexibility of Islamic gardens as forms and concepts. Most previous literature on Islamic gardens has focused on the pre-modern period, with limited attention devoted to the nineteenth century or beyond. However, this dissertation extends this historical framework of Islamic gardens to the contemporary period and its defined Islamic geographical boundaries into a global context, while also addressing critical questions about their meaning and identity up to the twenty-first century.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Landscape Architecture

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2020

Author dc:creator

• Habibullah, Amir Mohammed

Contributors dc:contributor

• Ruggles, D.Fairchild
• Hays, David L
• Stallmeyer, John C
• Khan, Hasan Uddin

• Islamic Garden
• Contemporary Islamic Garden
• Identity
• Cultural Identity
• Modern
• Tradition
• Globalization

Statement dc:rights

• © 2020 Amir Mohammed Habibullah

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/108305

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/108305