Al-Quds University Digital Repository service

The Digital Repository Service is a secure repository system, designed to store and share scholarly, administrative, and archival materials on behalf of Al-Quds University community.

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Now showing 1 - 5 of 10

Recent Submissions

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The First Restoration of al-Aqsa Mosque under the Supervision of the Supreme Muslim Council (1922–1925): A Study of the Role of the Architect Ahmad Kamal al-Din
(Center for Jerusalem Studies - Al-Quds University, 2026-06-19) Khalil Jamous
The study examines how the collapse of the Ottoman Empire—the entity traditionally responsible for safeguarding Islamic holy sites—precipitated severe post-World War I political and economic challenges that directly hindered restoration efforts at Al-Aqsa Mosque. This historical reality raises critical questions regarding how these destabilizing conditions influenced the selection of architects, shaped project management, and complicated the procurement of the funding necessary to execute the restorations in accordance with required engineering standards. Within this analytical framework, the study posits that, although the Supreme Islamic Council entrusted the Jerusalemite engineer Rushdi Al-Imam Al-Husseini with supervising the restoration of Al-Aqsa Mosque architect, it was, however, suggested to the Council to summon the architect Ahmed Kamal El-Din from Turkey to carry out this task. The research study aims to uncover the underlying reasons behind this preference. The study posits that Ahmad Kamal al-Din visited Jerusalem during the late Ottoman era, between 1910 and 1912, to evaluate the structural integrity of the monuments for restoration purposes, a pre-war survey that demonstrates the Ottoman Empire had actively planned maintenance operations at Al-Aqsa Mosque prior to its eventual defeat. Ultimately, this early site visit provided Ahmad Kamal al-Din with precise, firsthand knowledge of the extent of the structural damage and fissures, which later enabled him to contribute effectively to the restoration project once the Supreme Muslim Council assumed institutional oversight.
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Silwan: A Long Palestinian History, Heritage, and Existence
(Center for Jerusalem Studies - Al-Quds University, 2026-06-19) Daoud Ghoul
Al-Quds (Jerusalem) is one of the most famous cities in the world — renowned for its history, religious sites, and tourism. It is also known for a long colonial struggle, during which the city acquired a unique position among its native people, visitors, and colonizers. It became targeted for Western and Israeli archaeological excavations as part of an effort to claim the history of the city and exterminate its Palestinian historical heritage. This colonial act is known in the literature as “the logic of elimination” (e.g., Wolfe 2006; Salamanca et al. 2012), or the elimination of memory ‘damnatio memoriae’ (Bodnaruk 2022). The settler colonial elimination in Silwan is carried out through various projects that use archaeology to erase the Palestinian history, memory, and existence, transforming the area into the ‘City of David’ (e.g., Hawari 2022). This reflects the Zionist notion that Palestine is ‘a land without a people for a people without a land’. In this paper, I examine the rich literature on Palestinian existence, heritage, and history in Silwan.
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Doctoral Dissertations as the Basis of Knowledge Production in Jerusalem Studies (2001–2020): An Analytical Overview
(Center for Jerusalem Studies - Al-Quds University, 2026-06-19) Rashid Sheikho
This research aims to survey and analyze all doctoral dissertations within the field of Jerusalem Studies from the inception of this academic field in 2001 through 2020. The study provides a comprehensive overview of these academic works (theses), examining their objectives, findings, and core content, while categorizing them according to their primary themes. By documenting these dissertations, this research establishes a robust framework for the development of Jerusalem Studies and offers researchers a vital resource for selecting and developing their research topics. Additionally, this research assesses the academic output in the field of Jerusalem Studies to date, identifying well-explored areas as well as critical research gaps and weaknesses, and offering recommendations to address them. Utilizing a descriptive-analytical methodology, the study is structured into three parts: an introduction to the knowledge project known as Jerusalem Studies, a detailed analysis of dissertation abstracts, and a thematic classification that highlights neglected areas requiring further scholarly investigation.
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Jerusalem and the Question of Palestine in Syrian Curricula and Theses: Damascus University as a Model (1925–2024)
(Center for Jerusalem Studies - Al-Quds University, 2026-06-19) Bushra Khair Bek
Jerusalem and Palestine remain central in Syria's political and cultural discourse, where they are regarded as integral parts of the Arab homeland. Geographically and historically, Palestine and Syria form part of Bilad al-Sham, with Palestine historically serving as the gateway to the Mashriq (the Eastern Arab world). Jerusalem and the Palestinian question are also present in educational curricula at all levels of basic and university education. Their presence has remained uninterrupted at every stage since the establishment of the nucleus of Damascus University (formerly the Syrian University), which served as a cradle of student political activism rejecting Zionist activity in Palestine and continues to do so to the present day. This continuity has been maintained through the teaching of Palestine and its cause in the course National Arab Culture, which is compulsory for all first-year students in Syrian universities across all faculties. In addition, several faculties address the Palestinian cause either through dedicated courses or through specific chapters within certain courses. Furthermore, this topic has also featured prominently in university theses at the master's and doctoral levels, as well as in graduation projects, across a range of disciplines, including political, social, economic, and urban studies.
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The Role of Palestinian Teachers in Resisting the Israelization of Education in East Jerusalem (2015–2024): Strategies and Experiences
(Center for Jerusalem Studies - Al-Quds University, 2026-06-19) Rabee Bader
This study examines the role of Palestinian teachers in East Jerusalem in confronting policies of Israelization within the education system between 2015 and 2024. These policies, implemented through ministerial directives and Israeli five-year plans, seek to reshape the cognitive and cultural orientations of Palestinian students. Within this context, the study conceptualizes teachers as pedagogical and cultural actors whose role extends beyond the transmission of knowledge to include diverse forms of educational resistance. This resistance is manifested through both overt and covert practices, including alternative pedagogical approaches and extracurricular activities that aim to cultivate critical consciousness and reinforce cultural belonging. The study employs a qualitative methodology based on two case studies conducted in East Jerusalem schools (J/M Boys’ School and R/W Girls’ School). It analyzes variations in teachers’ practices along a continuum ranging from resistance to compliance with Israelization policies. The findings indicate that Palestinian teachers function as a primary agent of educational resistance to these policies. Moreover, the effectiveness of such resistance is closely associated with the level of community engagement and institutional support within the school environment. Despite fieldwork limitations and security-related constraints that restricted access to certain educational settings, the study underscores the centrality of education as a site of cultural and political contestation. It further positions teachers as key actors in resisting cultural domination and in reframing education as an emancipatory practice within East Jerusalem. The study concludes by recommending the strengthening of pedagogical, institutional, and community-based support systems for Palestinian teachers in order to mitigate the impact of Israelization policies on students.