Book at Lunchtime welcomes Dr Ammar Azzouz (British Academy Research Fellow, Geography) to discuss Domicide: Architecture, War and the Destruction of Home in Syria.
The city of Homs, like so many places in Syria, has suffered mass destruction since the war began in 2011. So far, the architectural response to the crisis has focused on ‘cultural heritage’, ancient architecture, and the external displacement of refugees, often neglecting the everyday lives of Syrians and the buildings that make up their homes and communities. In Domicide, Ammar Azzouz uses the notion of the ‘home’ to address the destruction in cities like Homs, the displacement of Syrian people both externally and internally, and to explore how cities can be rebuilt without causing further damage to the communities that live there.
"A deeply moving and clear eyed account of the Syrian conflict from a scholar who has lived its harsh realities on the ground and in exile. Domicide dispels the fiction of a post-conflict Syria, reminding us that the violence continues unabated, just in different configurations, in the wake of war. Azzouz poignantly describes how predatory states weaponize urban reconstruction, enacting new waves of violence in an effort to re-write history and erase communities. Moving us away from the endless mourning of monumental destruction, Domicide tells the bigger story of loss, the deliberate destruction of home."
"An important book that impels readers to rethink the entire category and contradictions of heritage work that will uncomfortably challenge all of us seeking to capture a world of conflict." (Lynn Meskell, University of Pennsylvania, US)
Joining Dr Azzouz for the discussion are Professor Gascia Ouzounian (Music) and Professor Zofia Stemplowska (Politics and International Relations)
TORCH Book at Lunchtime is open to everyone whether they are associated with Oxford University or not. We welcome people from every walk of life to our discussions at Radcliffe Humanities.
Wednesday 17 January, 12.30pm lunch, 1pm-2pm discussion. Seminar Room, Radcliffe Humanities Building, Woodstock Road Oxford.
Book your place for the discussion here
