MAPPING ISLAMICJERUSALEM
A REDISCOVERY OF GEOGRAPHICAL BOUNDARIES

Theme
To many contemporary scholars and academics Islamicjerusalem is merely a city with limits that do not go far beyond its ancient walls. Yet, in history, the existence of a region for Islamicjerusalem has been a long rooted concept. A region that, according to many accounts such as al-Maqdisi, extends to cover in addition to the ancient city, many other cities, towns and villages such as Hebron, Ramla, Zarnuqah, Jaffa, Nablus, Shuwaykah, Jama‘in, Jericho, Karak, Zoar and Kuseifa.
Other Qur’anic concepts namely the concepts of the Land of Barakah and the Holy Land have been long confused with each other and overlooked. This calls for the re-investigation of these Qur’anic concepts and their relationship with Islamicjerusalem. Contemporary understanding of the word Hawlahu (Qur’an 17:1) understood as “surrounded by” sheds new lights on classical understandings of the extent of this area and the radiation of Barakah and has brought to life the Circle Theory of Islamicjerusalem.
This year’s Conference will be looking at these issues amongst others. Thus authors are particularly invited to submit paper contributions including, but not limited to, the following themes:
• The boundaries of the region of Islamicjerusalem
• The Barakah Circle Theory
• The centre of Barakah: Al-Aqsa Mosque
• The Land of Barakah
• The Holy Land
• The historical administrative boundaries
• Geography of the Qur’an with respect to Islamicjerusalem

Venue
Shaikh Rashid Conference Hall, Al-Maktoum Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies, Dundee, Scotland.

Submission of Abstracts
Participants who wish to present a paper at the Conference should submit a 150-word abstract along with their full contact details. They should be submitted to the Conference Committee at the Centre for Islamicjerusalem Studies by 30 March 2007. All papers accepted to be presented at the Conference must reach the Centre by 15 May 2007.

Conference Programme
The Conference programme will consist of panels of papers, organised under a common theme. Each panel may consist of 2-3 paper presenters and a chair.

Registration Fees
Al-Maktoum Institute Students £10
Students/unwaged £20
Others £50

Enquires
All enquiries regarding the Conference should be sent to:
Dr. Khalid El-Awaisi
Centre for Islamicjerusalem Studies
Al-Maktoum Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies
124 Blackness Road, Dundee DD1 5PE
Tel: 00 44 (0) 1382-908070
Fax: 00 44 (0) 1382-908077
Email: k.awaisi@almi.abdn.ac.uk