June 4, 2008
One-Day Field Activity at Deir Mar Musa

On Saturday, May 17th, 2008, art and architecture students from the universities of Damascus, Albaath and Wadi International University made a field visit to Deir Mar Musa al-Habashi and the competition site. Speakers for the day were Mr. Ghassan Khoury and Mrs. Dima Akkad, both jury members, along with Ms. Zena Takieddine, an Art Historian, Dr. Rai’ef Mhanna from Damascus University and Father Paolo Dall’Oglio from Deir Mar Musa. Mr. Khoury talked to visitors about the land, weather, location, and historical features of the competition site. He noted the re-habitation activity of cultivation in the region (the garden at the bottom of the stairs), and the fact that the mountain is open towards east only. He said that the land is very hostile and needs ideas to tame it; that it cannot be confronted architecturally but one should adapt to it.	Students examining competition site
During her presentation "The Use of Symbols in Religious Architecture in Syria: a Historical Approach", Zena Takieddine explained that defining a religious space often takes into consideration an effort on the architectural design to alter the state of mind of the visitor into such a space.
The entrance as both an exterior pedagogical symbol and a place of transition from the exterior world to the spiritual world outside to inside is an architectural feature she emphasized alongside the orientation of movement as indicated by sacred ritual and the distribution of light as a major aspect of the psychological and spiritual impact that is part of a religious building's architectural design. Ms. Takieddine encouraged the students to be free and creative yet very deliberate about their ideas regarding lighting; orientation, and transition. Art is often used in the service of religion to promote certain messages or encourage certain ideals or act as a point of focus in ritual. Relating sacred stories from holy books is also a purpose of art so the students must take into account what it is they consider sacred and what form of artistic expression helps identify and nourish the sacred ideals of a spiritual community. From local heritage she gave examples of religious artistic expression dating back to Bronze Age Mari, to Palmyra, Dura Europos Synagogue and Chapel, Deir Mar Musa and the Umayyad Mosque.	Takieddine presenting at a newly built expansion of Deir Mar Musa Monastery, neighbouring it.
Takieddine noted how symbols accumulate meanings and can have different meanings at different times, and that the students can chose to create new symbols that serve their vision. Takieddine shared her perception of Deir Mar Musa with the listeners as, "a place that takes effort and deliberation to be reached by seekers of silence, meditation and simple hospitality." She identified tolerance, traditional culture, and environmental preservation as the top three things to be focused on while forming concepts of Sham Spiritual Oasis.

At last, Mrs. Akkad gave a presentation on “Spiritual Tourism in Syria” focusing on the following points:

• Types of tourism in Syria.
• Its touristic features, especially being a safe and multi-cultural destination.
• Religious Tourism in Syria, mainly Islamic and Christian, and its religious diversity, co-habitation, and tolerance; giving the examples of the Omayyad Mosque and Deir Mar Musa al-Habashi.
• Spiritual tourism: its aims, nature, and growth.
• Sustainable tourism and its benefits for societies and preservation of sites.

Presentations for the day took place at the competition site, in the ancient church and in the newly build expansion of Deir Mar Musa, called al-Hayek. This brief was prepared by the competition’s Local Project Coordinator.

May 12, 2008
Deadlines Extended

Because of the big interest this project has been facing, and in order to maximize the benefit from contributions world wide and allow the opportunity for more people to participate, we have decided to extend two competition deadlines and to launch a new advertising campaign.

The new deadlines are:

Registration deadline: May 30, 2008
Submission deadline: June 30, 2008

All other dates set in the Competition Brief remain the same. The final date for receiving materials, whether sent by mail to COSV Milano or hand-delivered to Deir Mar Musa is June 30, 2008.

May 9, 2008
Spring Workshop of Deir Mar Musa Announced

May 5, 2008
General Call for Participation in Field Activity

Prospective participants in Sham Spiritual Oasis competition are invited to join a one-day field activity, to be held on Saturday, May 17, 2008 in Deir Mar Musa al-Habashi and its valley.

April 20, 2008
Architecture Students Visit Competition Site

On Sunday April 6, 2008, around 60 architecture students from the International University for Science and Technology (IUST) and University of Kalamoon (both in Syria) visited Deir Mar Musa al-Habashi and the site of the competition with their teachers on a working day. The program included free time at the competition site, an introduction to the way of life at Deir Mar Musa and an open discussion between the students, the attending faculty, Mr. Mustafa Ali, and Dr. Wael Samhouri *, who serve on the jury, and Father Paolo Dall’Oglio and Sister Huda from the Monastery. * Dr. Wael Samhouri, a jury member, is the teacher of participating students from IUST. Those students are not eligible to participate in the competition as competitors.

Next are most of the questions, points of view and general information that were shared, as copied and remembered by the Local Project Coordinator of the competition.

Student: Why do Muslims come here, aside from seeing ruins?

Father Paolo:

The spiritual depth of any spiritual place can be sensed by all people. The Prophet of Islam has visited monks, and Muslims still follow his tradition. Monasteries in the Muslim world have always been protected by their Muslim environment.

The phenomenon of Fridays in Deir Mar Musa should be noticed; each Friday, thousands of people, of whom 99% are Muslims, visit the Monastery its valley.

How did the idea of promoting Islamic- Christian Dialogue through this competition emerge?

Opinion:

There are many people who live with the other without truly understanding him/her. For me, the aim of this competition is to learn about the other.

Father Paolo:

We want the emotional intelligence and the bright thoughts from the new generation to open horizons in front of us, the elderly.

Opinion: I think the idea is to have a human communion, without religion.

Mustafa Ali:

You can express the relationship between you and God without using symbolism that expresses your or the other’s religious belief. In general, every human being needs spirituality, thus it is important to create spiritual space for humans to meditate among themselves and the Ultimate/the Universe/Allah.

I think it is important for this work to aim at creating a direct connection between God and humans.

Before starting your creation, there should be extensive meditation; sitting alone, in silence, watching the colours of the place, the rocks...

Wael Samhouri:

There is a need to meditate, and discuss and cooperate with others.

Father Paolo:

There are two directions you can choose from to start forming your work; either finding direct historical connections between the two religions, as in trying to find harmony between different belongings, or through phenomenology; the study of our collective subconscious, using the common element of not-belonging to anything.

There is not a certain result we aim to get, and there is a need for something new. This project has a strong connection to values, such as beauty and the relationship to nature. It is important to note that the project that will be realized is not necessarily the one that wins the competition. Therefore, there is a wide range of ideas and criteria that can be adopted in forming concepts and designs.

After escalating the stairs, I was so tired, but when I was welcomed at the entrance with smiles and water, I was relieved.

Sister Huda briefly described the contents of the current Monastery: the Church, a small museum, rooms for sleeping, the computer room, the kitchen.

Father Paolo:

Spiritual places can help rise generations, but at the same time, they are harmed by them.

Mustafa Ali:

The place (Sham Spiritual Oasis) should be one of rest and recreation for the human self, and a place to move from a spiritual space to another, services are of another concern. The problem of the internal insecurity for human beings is an old one.

Is the place designated to serve a group of people at once, or each one individually?

Mustafa Ali:

This depends on your idea.

Should there be a link between the site in the valley (competition site) and up here (Deir Mar Musa al-Habashi)?

Wael Samhouri expressed strongly that the site in the valley should be used as a preparation phase to get to the peak site (the Church of Deir Mar Musa), and that there should be an escalation of importance between spaces; a ceremony of getting to the peak point.

Wael Samhouri:

The architectural story begins from the road break from Nebek that leads to Deir Mar Musa, and there should be a link between all architectural structures from the start of that road to the Monastery. Realising this connection in submitted designs will certainly give them added value.

We should read between the lines (of the competition brief), and re-formulate the problem. We should not look down on dimensions and architectural details, and only think about spirituality. But we should read the problem, read the site and location then formulate them. The participant should be most free to act and design, only after realizing the base on which to build his or her project.

Opinion: It is important to note that we are creating a space in the twenty-first century, in comparison to one whose history goes back to the beginning of Christianity.

Father Paolo:

The Syrian Ministry of Agriculture has allocated 250 hectares of land for the creation of an environmental, cultural, and religious protected area. This place is advertised worldwide based on the fact that it is marginalized.

Up here, the Monastery has a Christian background, and we aim for the site in the valley to be neutral/ holding all symbols/ not belonging to a certain religion. Our culture here does not have a problem of belonging, and the site downstairs should serve the Syrian and international communities with their mosaics of identities.

Opinion:

Neutral doesn’t necessarily mean unreligious.