VIRTUAL: Prague Heritages

Abstract

In the history of Islam, the emergence of sects over time signaled the othering of those who did not belong to a particular sect. Such issues of religious identity and boundaries are reflected in Pakistan’s societal structure where most, if not all religious political parties are associated with a specific sect and fund educational institutions like madrassas to perpetuate their religious program. One such site, beset by all these issues is the complex of Data Darbar, Karbala Gamay Shah, and Daar-ul-Uloom Hizbul Ahnaf in Lahore where Shite, Sunni, and Sufi worshippers have been congregating in tandem for decades. This paper is about an architectural discourse celebrating the vastness of spiritual and human experiences. The site is taken as a tapestry where varied pieces are stitched together in an attempt to create a harmonious whole whilst preserving the integrity of the individual constituent. The boundaries are shaped by ecumenical narratives to transform the site into a center of interfaith studies, guided by the spirit of inquiry, dialectical discourse, and independent approaches to Islam. Ideally, this work proposes spaces of encounter and participation where the Other is recognized and respected.