AN ASSESSMENT OF THE AESTHETIC VALUE OF THE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY MOSQUE IN CONSTANTINE

Bousmaha Said, Samia Chergui, Mustapha Cheikh Zouaoui

Abstract


Contemporary architecture increasingly stands out as a new area of cultural heritage. The "religious patrimony of the future" is one of the principal components which fits naturally into the logical process of preservation and transfer, of the architectural heritage from one generation to the other. The patrimonial process represents the only way to identify and evaluate these "prominent qualities", through different methods of evaluation. this study aims to assess the aesthetic value, considered as one of the essential characteristics of the university mosque in Constantine. It also aims to trigger its heritage process. The methodology was for quantitative and qualitative analysis (quaternaries and formal investigation). The analysis of its outward composition and overall form fits not only into a specific theoretical framework related to the philosophy of art and the subjectivity of beauty perception but depends more on an "in situ" investigation. The evaluation criteria adopted for this study focuses on the values of balance, dominance, unity and variety as well as the parameters of rhythm, proportion and perfect angles. The finding of this study reveals that these criteria made evident different constructive logics used at this university mosque such as the use of Doric proportions and privileged angles, which could serve as an objective argument in according aesthetic value to this mosque in Constantine and prepare its patrimonial future as a religious heritage for future generations.

 


Keywords


Patrimony of the future; university mosque; Constantine; aesthetic; assessment

Full Text:

PDF

References


J.-F. Dortier, “Holisme contre élémentarisme,”. Sci. Hum., noHors-série no7, p. 45, Oct. 2008.

P.-A. Johnson, The Theory of Architecture, Concepts Themes & Practices. New York: Wiley, 1st edition, p. 402, 1994.

A. Ismail, Les principes esthétiques dans la critique, Présentation, interprétation et comparaison. Bagdad: A.C.G., p. 113, 1986.

J. Stolnitz, Aesthetics and philosophy of art criticism, a critical introduction. Houghton: Mifflin, 1st edition, pp. 633-634, 1960.

I. Benarbia, L’évaluation de la valeur esthétique des monuments historiques: cas de la grande mosquée de Nedroma. Post-graduate thesis, Algeria: University of Tlemcen, pp. 63-65, 2012.

M. de la Torre and R. Mason, “Assessing the Values of Cultural Heritage,” The Getty Conservation Institute, Los Angeles: Research Report, pp. 3-4, 2002.

A. Riegl, Le Culte moderne des monuments. Son essence et sa genèse. Paris: Le Seuil, Édition revue et augmentée, p. 88, 2013.

S. Chergui, Les Mosquées d’Alger. Construire, gérer et conserver (xvie–xixe siècles). Paris: PU Paris-Sorbonne, pp. 185-186, 2011.

T. Redjel, La mosquée Emir Abdelkader: un édifice ... une renaissance. Constantine: ARAJA Edition, p.25, 2015.

Y. Li and S. Ren, Building decorative materials. Oxford: Woodhead Publ, p. 41, 2011.

K. Ismail, “Sultan Hassan mosque: an Islamic architectural wonder analytical study of design and its effect on Islamic Cairo,” J. Islam. Archit., vol. 94-105, p. 97, 2010.

B. Belabed-Sahraoui, “L’architecture de la Mosquée-université Emir Abdelkader,” Architecture Islamique, Algeria: University of Constantine, pp. 1-13, 2016.

M. Q. de Quincy, Dictionnaire historique d’architecture. Paris: Librairie d’Adrien le Clere, pp. 645-646, 1832.

B. Zevi, Apprendre à voir l’architecture. Paris: Editions de Minuit, p. 113, 1959.

S. Hesselgren, The language of architecture. Lund: Studentlitterar, 2nd edition, p. 215, 1969.

R. Arnheim, Art and Visual Perception: A Psychology of the Creative Eye. California: U.C. Press, p. 20, 2004.

P. Lalitte, “Le rythme,”, Actes des secondes Rencontres inter artistiques, Paris, vol. série: Conférences et séminaires, n° 24, p. 118, 2005.

A. Sharma, R. Singh, and P. S. Chani, “Proportions and Architecture,” Social Science Research Network, Rochester, New York, pp. 44-45, 2012.

L. E. Michel and J.-P. Mathieu, “Le design de la grande pyramide de Chéops: un modèle de proportions et d’angles d’or (ou privilégiés),” RHPM, p. 77, 2015.

S. S. Blair and J. M. Bloom, The Art and Architecture of Islam, 1250–1800. New Haven: Yale University Press, Reprint edition, 1996.




DOI: https://doi.org/10.18860/jia.v5i3.4622

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.