AUS faculty member lectures on ancient architectural drawings

Eirik Heintz, Associate Professor at the College of Architecture, Art and Design (CAAD), American University of Sharjah(AUS), presented an engaging lecture entitled Drawing From Syria, Transjordan and Arabia Petraea recently at the CAAD Lecture Hall.

In his lecture, Heintz presented a diverse collection of drawings and etchings of Palmyra, an ancient city in central Syria. His research, undertaken at the American Academy in Rome, focused on the rediscovery of long abandoned Roman cities in the Middle East, starting in the 18th century. This rediscovery led to a renewed fascination with the archeology of the Roman Empire beyond Europe. During this period, the exoticism of the Orient was romanticized and gave rise to an era of focused study.

"It is interesting to examine the similarities between contemporary Dubai and Palmyra during the roman era. They are cities built on trade. Both cities incorporate a diverse population that communicated using two primary common languages. In Palmyra the language was Aramaic and Greek, in Dubai the language is Arabic and English," said Heintz.

"The architecture of Palmyra wasn't just Roman architecture transplanted intact from Rome. What is interesting is that it incorporates both Roman and local architectural traditions into its civic buildings. The architecture of Palmyra is a great example of the embodiment of 'East meets West,'" he added.