Jordan University's pedestrian tunnel

[Maybe, architecture doesn't have to be stupid after all. liberated from the obligation to construct...] Rem Koolhaas
These words echoed in my head when I was encountered with the renovations done to the JU's pedestrian underground tunnel.
First thing they did... was use the wrong material as floor tiles... the light brownish stone is totally inconvenient for this purpose... this tunnel is crossed by so many students and others every day... and don't forget the winter rain and mud created....
Second thing is the corner's detailing they made... I don't understand what and why!!! they just built what seems to be a bench sort-of-thing... but no one would think of sitting there... it is a circulation area... and people move endlessly...
Third thing is the facade when you go out of the tunnel... It has the traditional disproportional arched neich... and no further comment on that!!!!!
The last thing which is the most horrific is the unjustified steel structure that are being built for kiosks... [my guess]
All of those who visited the university knows that there are always people there setting up a table and selling stuff... from T-shirts... scarfs to CDs and Jewelery... and the place was always cramped...
So as a solution for that... and being bounded by the [obligation to construct] they decided to set up steel kiosks... making the tunnel even smaller.
I don't understand why humans [or maybe Arabs only] love institutionalizing everything... every event should follow a rule... a name... a structure... there is no more place for banal/ naive/ natural actions...
I know that the previous situation wasn't the best... but I don't think that they have got the right solution... as a matter of fact... somethings are better left unsolved or uncorrected...

The tunnel still under-renovation

Radio Ramadan Edinburgh

Radio Ramadan Edinburgh is back to broadcasting during the holy month of Ramadan...


A couple of years ago I had the privilege of working with the station and it was worth the while... The Radio relies basically on volunteers from the local community and is non profitable... the idea of providing the Muslim community in UK/Edinburgh with alternative media that suit their needs during Ramadan is the inspiration and the concept behind the radio.
The programs are presented in three languages ; English, Arabic and Urdu giving a chance for more people to listen and interact. Also different age groups are addressed like the Fun @ 4 show which is for kids.
you can listen to the Radio Ramadan Edinburgh online... which again makes it more accessible and help it spread more among Muslims in other cities or even countries...

What I loved most about it is that you can hear the Adhan of each prayer... which is something that you miss when you live in a non Islamic country...

Radio Ramadan Edinburgh is a good media choice for any one during Ramadan... and I highly recommend it...

Ramadan and TV | Aljazeera Documentary

During the month of Ramadan people in the Middle East [at least] gets addicted to TV... and a rally of series, shows, games, contests,.... begins...

For me I don't watch that much of TV anyways... but I feel a bit frustrated from the long list of [traditional] misconceptions related to Ramadan... TV addiction is one of them...

Anyhow... I come from a family where TV is always there in our gatherings... whether food or just past time... not necessarily active in role... but the TV is always on... and I'm sure there are many families that do the same...

So during the Suhor time Dad always put on Aljazeera Documentary... and I felt that I should mention what an excellent choice it might be...

Aljazeera TV is very well known both on the regional and global levels...
The Documentary channel is one of the most successful Arabic TV channels I ever seen...
Most of the programs are interesting... mind engaging and informative... the themes go a wide range between social, political, historical, religious and scientific...
The graphics of the channel are well done as well... engaging you both visually and aurally...

Aljazzera.net | Documentary

This Ramadan if you want to turn your TV on... I would highly recommend it... they have a selection of programs and documentries... that goes well with Ramadan...[if such thing exists]... and can be appealing to different people...

I love professionalism

One of the things that I don't like [hate] much about living in Jordan is the lack/absance of professinalism in almost everything... work... study... services... but today I found a spark of hope that I felt I have to share...
The story goes like this...
Yesterday I bought a calling card [ma'ak] and went home to try and call my friend in the US... tried several times but it didn't work... and I was a bit frustrated... and suddenly I saw at the back of the card the number to the customer service... and though I didn't think it would do me any good I called them and told them about the problem I was having...
The girl who answered me was very polite... she took my name, my number and the number I was trying to call and said that she'll try and see what's the problem and get back to me... of course she put me a bit on hold while she was trying some quick solutions... but when it didn't work she promised to call back later...
Later that night I tried the card again... and it worked fine... well... my friend didn't hear me as clearly as I did hear her... but it was okay. The interesting part is that she said that a calling card company called her and told her that I was trying to call her...
Anyways this morning... they called me and told me that if I try calling today there shouldn't be any problem...
I thanked them and told them that I already tried and it worked...

So here you go... I'm really satisfied from their attitude... Good Job...

And I hope that a change in my country is about to come...

Ramadan Kareem*

photo from archive : crescent moon in Edinburgh

"الله أكبر, اللهم أهله علينا باليمن و الايمان و السلامة و الاسلام و التوفيق لما تحب و ترضى, ربنا و ربك الله"

‘Allah is the greatest. O Allah, let the crescent loom above us in safety, faith, peace, and Islam, and in agreement with all that You love and pleases You. Our Lord and your Lord is Allah.’

* Thursday 13th Sept 2007 marks the first day of Ramadan

Going to Mecca and Madina | Architectural take

What I liked the most about both places is the well preserved layers of history.
In the Nabawi Mosque which as I mentioned before lays the grave of the Prophet Mohammed PBUH you can distinguish between the first renovation and expansion works done in early Islamic times [Umayyad –not sure]… and between the latest done by the Saudis…
The amount of work done is amazing. The tiles, the ceiling, the arches are very interesting and well done. The air conditioning system is great. I’ve been told that it’s one of the biggest efficiently air conditioned projects ever. In any case it is really a great job well done.
The Islamic patterns used everywhere is beautifully done and adds a lot to the presence of the place.
One of my favorite architectural features in the Nabawi Mosque is the opening wooden domes. On the grid of the arches you have squares covered with wooden elegantly carved domes. These domes after the early Sunrise Prayer slides open allowing the people to see the sky above and feel the chilling early morning breeze. The sliding movement happens in a beautiful pace almost silently giving an ordinary mechanical action a deep mystic feeling.

As for the Meccan mosque where in the middle sits the Kaaba is another story. Mecca compared to Madina is much hotter. The mosque is not air conditioned as the Nabawi mosque but that’s due to many reasons… first the Kaaba is situated under the sky with no ceiling and around it there is an open yard where people go around in circles… surrounding the yard is the mosque which is again has been built and renovated couple of times and you can easily trace the process and stages of expansion and renovation.
The mosque is built on a system of columns and arches open to the yard with no walls thus fans hanging from the ceiling is what is used rather than air conditioning units. But as the mosque gets away from the Kaaba and becomes more closed normal units are used and the temperature drops down.
Of course this is a compromise people have to make… either be in a cool area or in an area where they can see Kaaba…
The yard itself though open is conditioned since the tiles of the ground are actually cold… I don’t know how… but is just amazing.

The sizes of the two mosques are great… and the efforts done to preserve and maintain both must be as great.

One negative point I had about both mosques was the urban fabric around. The Saudi government has allowed many hotels and high rise buildings to be constructed at a very near distance which I felt killed the view for the two mosques. I remember getting annoyed when I was praying at the upper level in the Meccan Mosque and I was looking at one of the minarets and just behind it there was this huge tower under construction way taller than it… and I felt it deprived the mosque some of its holiness…

If it was my call I would leave a huge yard and space around the mosques just to respect it and only allow pedestrian movement around. Walking to the mosque is in itself an act of worship so I don’t see a problem in letting people walk a longer distance and respecting the view and the presence of the greatest two mosques in the Islamic culture.

:: related
Going to Mecca and Madina | Spiritual take

Going to Mecca and Madina | Spiritual take

It is surely a dream coming true… and it was beyond words… beyond expectation… and two places are already missed…

My first stop was in Madina. There lays the Nabawi Mosque, the first mosque built in Islam. In that Mosque lays the grave of the Prophet Mohammed peace be upon him along side his two faithful companions and the first two caliphs in the Islamic rule, Abu-Bakr Assdiq and Omar ibn Alkhattab.
When I first saw the Mosque from the bus I felt thrilled to see the green dome which signifies the house and grave of the Prophet PBUH. And when I approached the mosque I was very happy. There was this musky smell and a calming cool blanket that wrapped you as you entered inside. People from all over the world were gathered in tranquil murmurs passing their prayers and blessing on their most beloved Prophet PBUH. I almost felt his presence… reflecting how on these places and spaces he must’ve walked once… and the essence and foundation of the Islamic Ummah was established there… the Mosque certainly has a strong impact on any soul entering with the consciousness of the importance of that mosque and who lays alive in memory underneath the green dome…
As for Mecca… it is a totally different story… there lays the house of God built by another loved great Prophet… Prophet Ibrahim [Abraham] peace be upon him… there lays the Kaaba…
Kaaba forms the center of the Muslim world since it is the place where they all head when they stand to perform their daily prayers. The idea of a person going there and then going around it in 7 complete circles is amazing. In each step you make you are in the direction of someone else’s prayer line between his house in whatever spot of land he’s in and the Kaaba… you feel connected with Muslims all over the world because as you rotate around the Kaa’ba you are rotating around all the directions and lines connecting the kaaba with every Muslim standing in prayer in any place on earth… it is amazing… you feel connected with the world around and yet with the invisible line connecting this Kaaba with God the Great…
When you perform Omra [minor pilgrimage] you go through the different phases of preparing yourself… then the [talbiah] which is invoking God saying [Here I am at Your service, O Lord, here I am. Here I am at Your service. You have no partners. Yours alone is all praise and all bounty, and Yours alone is sovereignty. You have no partners.] with one voice, men and women… it is such an empowering feeling of unity… and then you enter the house of God and you go around the Kaaba… 7 times. After that you go walking back and forth between two hills named Safa and Marwa where the wife of Ibrahim and the Mother of Isamil [Ishmael] was walking searching for water for her infant… again the idea of walking 7 times between two hills remembering Allah… praying for Him… asking for whatever you want or need… it is just amazing… you hear people with many different tongues each praying in their own languages each with their own worries and troubles… all walking… in the same direction and praying for The One… The Great…
After that to finalize the rituals you go and cut your hair… if you are a man you have to cut more than if you are a woman… it is the celebration of obedience… and the celebration of completing a great act of worship that connected you with yourself… your religion… and your God…
Looking at the Kaaba in itself is considered an act of worship… you cannot possibly understand that unless you go there and you start looking at it… and reflecting upon your whole existence… in every possible way… it is just amazing… the presence of the place and the divine connection that you are aware of… since you are not worshipping the black box… but the God who commanded you to go there and do what He asked you to do… that same God who commanded Ibrahim to take his wife and his new son to that empty land and leave them there in His protection… the God who commanded Ibrahim later on to build this house with his son… the God who accepted the prayer of Ibrahim when he wished that this land will be holy and safe and that people will come worshipping God there… the God that many years later brought Mohammed to life there… and then commanded him to leave… the God that asked all Muslims to turn to the Kaa’ba in their prayers wherever they are… the God that hears all… and accepts all who worship Him and only Him with no other partners…

The whole trip was great… and I can’t share more or express more the way I felt there… because I feel it is so intimate and special…

I would highly recommend every person to go and visit these places… being aware of the importance of both places in the living spirit of Islam…

May Allah accept the worships and prayers of every pure heart that seeks His Light and His Peace…