Beyond the grand narrative of Al Bastakiya: Ayesha Al Bastaki and the Windtower houses of Old Dubai
ISSN: 2631-6862
Article publication date: 19 July 2024
Issue publication date: 22 October 2024
Abstract
Purpose
Al Bastakiya (now Al Fahidi) historic neighborhood in Dubai stands as one of the last remaining residential historic neighborhoods in a city notoriously known to favor newness. Among the existing research about the neighborhood, most focuses on the allure of the neighborhood’s 13-meter-high wind-catching towers and private courtyards, but some delve into the histories of the merchant families who lived in the neighborhood. I argue that the existing literature does not capture the multiplicity of experiences of Al Bastakiya residents, especially the experiences of women. In fact, at times it sits in opposition to it.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper is part of an ongoing research project titled Ayesha Al Bastaki and the Windtower Houses of Old Dubai, which seeks to challenge the male-centered rendition of Al Bastakiya by re-introducing women as active agents in the narrative of Al Bastakiya. Ayesha Al Bastaki is a well-established Dubai-based architectural engineer with over 50 completed projects.
Findings
Using her memories in one of the biggest houses in the neighborhood, the Abbas House (now demolished), and the collective memory of her community in Al Bastakiya in the 1970s and early 1980s, a story is told about the role of women in the development of the Al Bastakiya neighborhood and their negotiation of their built environment.
Originality/value
Bringing to the forefront for the first time, women of the Al Bastakiya.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This research was supported by the Zayed University Research Incentive Fund. I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to architect Ayesha Al Bastaki for trusting me with personal memories and family histories. The depth of this research was due to her generosity, openness, and willingness to share her experiences as part of the amazing community of women of Al Bastakiya—whose stories have not been fully told. I would also like to thank colleagues and mentors Dr Sabrina DeTurk and Dr Woodman Taylor for their invaluable guidance and pragmatic mentorship, and Dr Anne Grichting for lending me her sharp academic eye. I would also be remiss not to thank Adina Hempel and Dr Daniella Ottman for a great number of things, but today, for their support in bringing to the forefront the active role of women in the built environment in the GCC and beyond.
Citation
Bukhammas, A. (2024), "Beyond the grand narrative of Al Bastakiya: Ayesha Al Bastaki and the Windtower houses of Old Dubai", Archnet-IJAR, Vol. 18 No. 3, pp. 612-623. https://doi.org/10.1108/ARCH-09-2023-0262
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2024, Emerald Publishing Limited