Islamic Jerusalem Studies is a field of Study offered by several academic colleges and universities that focuses on the region of the

Holy Land The Holy Land; Arabic: or is an area roughly located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Eastern Bank of the Jordan River, traditionally synonymous both with the biblical Land of Israel and with the region of Palestine. The term "Holy ...

from an

Islamic Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the mai ...

perspective. It embraces both

Islamic Studies Islamic studies refers to the academic study of Islam, and generally to academic multidisciplinary "studies" programs—programs similar to others that focus on the history, texts and theologies of other religious traditions, such as Easter ...

and

theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

as well as history, geography, archeology, and architecture.

The field

Islamic Jerusalem Studies is a relatively new field of academic inquiry concerned with the region known in Arabic as Bayt Al-Maqdis. Since its establishment in London in 1994, the founder of the field Professor Abd al-Fattah El-Awaisi, has encouraged promising academics to contribute to this endeavor by adopting and promoting a

multidisciplinary Interdisciplinarity or interdisciplinary studies involves the combination of multiple academic disciplines into one activity (e.g., a research project). It draws knowledge from several other fields like sociology, anthropology, psychology, ec ...

and

interdisciplinary Interdisciplinarity or interdisciplinary studies involves the combination of multiple academic disciplines into one activity (e.g., a research project). It draws knowledge from several other fields like sociology, anthropology, psychology, ec ...

approach to the study of the region. The term Islamicjerusalem has three main elements: the land, its population, and a unique vision of inclusivity for the two.El- Awaisi, Abd al-Fattah, ‘Introducing Islamic Jerusalem’ (ALMI Press, 2006)

Institutionalisation and development

The field dates to the creation of ISRA (Academy for Islamic Jerusalem Studies) in 1994 in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

. The academy helped institutionalise the field in British higher education. The founder first taught a module at Undergraduate level entitled ‘Islamic Jerusalem’ at the

al-Quds University Al-Quds University ( ar, جامعة القدس) is a Palestinian university with campuses in Jerusalem, Abu Dis, al-Bireh, and Hebron. Overview The idea of establishing an institution of higher learning in the outskirts of Jerusalem was con ...

and in the 1990s at the

University of Stirling The University of Stirling (, gd, Oilthigh Shruighlea (abbreviated as Stir or Shruiglea, in post-nominals) is a public university in Stirling, Scotland, founded by royal charter in 1967. It is located in the Central Belt of Scotland, built w ...

. This was followed by PhD candidates researching the field at Edinburgh, Strathclyde and Glasgow Caledonian Universities. The majority of the research emerged with the launch of the first institution dedicated specifically to the field of Islamic Jerusalem Studies, Al-Maktoum Institute in Dundee in 2001. The institute supports original postgraduate research. It offers Masters and PhD programs in Islamic Jerusalem Studies accredited by the

University of Aberdeen The University of Aberdeen ( sco, University o' 'Aiberdeen; abbreviated as ''Aberd.'' in List of post-nominal letters (United Kingdom), post-nominals; gd, Oilthigh Obar Dheathain) is a public university, public research university in Aberdeen, Sc ...

. Ten years later field started to expand beyond the United Kingdom, in particular within the Arab and

Muslim World The terms Muslim world and Islamic world commonly refer to the Islamic community, which is also known as the Ummah. This consists of all those who adhere to the religious beliefs and laws of Islam or to societies in which Islam is practiced. I ...

. Currently courses are offered in at universities in

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

Palestine __NOTOC__ Palestine may refer to: * State of Palestine, a state in Western Asia * Palestine (region), a geographic region in Western Asia * Palestinian territories, territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely the West Bank (including East ...

and

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

The Annual International Conference

The first Annual International Conference took place in 1997. The 13 (as of 2010) Annual International conferences attracted distinguished scholars from around the world. The last conference took place at

SOAS SOAS University of London (; the School of Oriental and African Studies) is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the federal University of London. Founded in 1916, SOAS is located in the Bloomsbury are ...

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...

in November 2010 and was entitled ‘Orientalist approaches to Islamic Jerusalem'.

Publications

The Journal of Islamicjerusalem Studies

The lack of available academic literature led to the establishment of the first issue of Journal of Islamic Jerusalem Studies in the winter of 1997. The Journal brings together findings from archaeological, theological, historical and geographical studies and is published in Arabic and English.

Islamicjerusalem Studies Series

ISRA acknowledges the most innovative and creative research within the field through initiatives such as the Islamic Jerusalem Prize for Young Scholars and the Al-Maqdisi Award.Al-Ahlas, Aisha. Islamic Research Academy 1999-2004, Background, Activities and Achievements. (Islamic Research Academy ISRA 2004) Books include: # نظرية جديدة لتفسير التصميم والتخطيط الهندسي لقبة الصخرة والفكر التخطيطي الهندسي الإسلامي في الفترة الإسلامية المبكرة. هيثم فتحي الرطروط # The First Islamic Conquest of Aelia (Islamic Jerusalem): A Critical Analytical Study of the Early Islamic Historical Narrations and Sources. Othman Ismael al-Tel # Islamic Research Academy: 1994 – 2004 Background, Activities and Achievements, With Special Reference to the New Field of Inquiry of Islamicjerusalem Studies. Aisha Al-Ahlas # The Architectural Development of Al-Aqsa Mosque in Islamic Jerusalem in the Early Islamic Period: Sacred Architecture in the Shape of the ‘Holy’. Haithem Fathi Al-Ratrout # Introducing Islamic Jerusalem. Abd al-Fattah M. El-Awaisi # Mapping Islamic Jerusalem: A Rediscovery of Geographical Boundaries. Khalid El-Awaisi # Islamic Jerusalem and its Christians: A History of Tolerance and Tensions. I B Tauris & Co Ltd (2007). Maher Abu-Munshar # Islamic Jerusalem Studies: A Guide. ALMI Press 2007. Abd al-Fattah El-Awaisi # البعد الأكاديمي والمعرفي لبيت المقدس: التعريف بأركان الحقل المعرفي الجديد في العالم العربي ( مجمع البحوث الإسلامية ومركز البحوث الاجتماعية والانسانية بجامعة العلوم والتكنولوجيا ( 2008تحرير: عبد الفتاح محمد العويسي # Geographical Dimensions of Islamic Jerusalem. Cambridge Scholars Publishing (2008) Khalid El-Awaisi (Editor)

References

{{reflist

External links

isra.org.uk

abdn.ac.uk
History of Palestine (region) Historiography of Israel