The Mamluk period was the most exuberant in Egypt. It lasted from 1250 to 1517, a short period of only 267 years but highly dynamic in art and architecture. No historian has given a documented and defendable reason for this rise yet many spoke of the origins of the Mamluks in Eastern Europe, Anatolia, and the Caucus. Their excellence in design was directly related to the diversity of their population in Egypt and Syria but more specifically in Cairo. A new aesthetic developed in their art and architecture and became uniquely Mamluk. It was a culmination of design influences coming from as far away as Persepolis in the East and al-Andalus in the West. Good trade relations with Catalonia played an important role in the transmission of design ideas and the prosperity of the Mamluks. The doctorate thesis is a study of the sources of Islamic design in several regions and their development. It analyzes examples from the pre-Islamic, Islamic and post-Islamic periods to show how design shared inspirational sources. It traces the aesthetics of Islamic architecture, using twentieth century Spain as a case study, to show how this affected the development of modern and contemporary architecture. / El període Mameluc era el més exuberant a Egipte. Va durar des·de 1250-1517, un curt període de només 267 anys, però molt dinàmic en l'art i l'arquitectura. Cap historiador ha donat una raó documentada i defensable per aquest augment però molts van parlar dels orígens dels mamelucs a Europa de l'Est, Anatòlia i el Caucus. La seva excel·lència en el disseny estava directament relacionada amb la diversitat de la seva població a Egipte i Síria, però més específicament al Caire. Una nova estètica desenvolupada en el seu art i arquitectura, i va esdevenir únic mameluc. Va ser la culminació d'influències de disseny procedents de llocs tan llunyans com Persépolis a l'est i al-Andalus a l'Oest. Les bones relacions comercials amb Catalunya van exercir un paper important en la transmissió de les idees del disseny i la prosperitat dels mamelucs. La tesi doctoral és un estudi de les fonts de disseny islàmic en diverses regions i el seu desenvolupament. S'analitzen exemples dels períodes pre-islàmic, islàmic i post-islàmic per mostrar com el disseny comparteix fonts d'inspiració. Traça l'estètica de l'arquitectura islàmica, amb l'Espanya del segle XX com un estudi de cas, per mostrar com va afectar al desenvolupament de l'arquitectura moderna i contemporània.

Islamic design is a rich art form with spiritual and meditative meaning expressed through its infinite pattern. The iterative process of creating pattern, unified yet diverse, is an intri-cate geometric path conveying conceptual exploration. Process of form development in Is-lamic patterns defines its growing design, seeking explicit relationships between unity and multiplicity. As the grid expands and patterns unfold, new concepts are introduced for pat-tern exploration and formation. Reoccurring focal points of the Islamic geometries mark significant moments in which these patterns take form. By fusing traditional Islamic design fundamentals with contemporary concepts for interiors, I expand the realm of this rich art form from a two dimensional form to a three dimensional structure.

Islamic design is a rich art form with spiritual and meditative meaning expressed through its infinite pattern. The iterative process of creating pattern, unified yet diverse, is an intri-cate geometric path conveying conceptual exploration. Process of form development in Is-lamic patterns defines its growing design, seeking explicit relationships between unity and multiplicity. As the grid expands and patterns unfold, new concepts are introduced for pat-tern exploration and formation. Reoccurring focal points of the Islamic geometries mark significant moments in which these patterns take form. By fusing traditional Islamic design fundamentals with contemporary concepts for interiors, I expand the realm of this rich art form from a two dimensional form to a three dimensional structure.

Culture, as defined by Edward Said, is a concept of identity selectively curated through imperialism. Through my ceramic practice, I explore what constitutes my cultural identity as a first generation Arab American. My work, primarily influenced by family narrative was initially expressed through investigations in the figure and viewer relationships with my sculpted figures. As my research progressed into Western Imperialism, I began noticing extensive evidence of colonialism’s lasting effects, especially within Western consumer markets. Interest in the writings of Said, works by French Orientalist painters, family memory, and a general displeasure with the plethora of Middle Eastern design used in Western decor culminates into Arab Americanesque; an installation that explores ideas of cultural obfuscation, power, and belonging.