urbanismo

The use of loudspeakers placed on mosque minarets to amplify the call to prayer in Turkish cities has led to debates about their place in urban life, mostly centered around aesthetic concerns. However, it can be argued that loudspeakers, which have been part of the public life of Muslim-majority society since the 1930s, represent more than an aesthetic issue. Structural (historical and cultural) barriers have blurred the public discourse on the issue in Turkey, particularly the connection between the use of loudspeakers and social transformations. This phenomenon, which has received little attention in the academic literature, will be analyzed through the experiences of Turkey and Singapore in order to provide a framework for future research and explore the origins of the ongoing debate. *** In recent years, I have seen many people around me complaining about the loudspeaker broadcast of the call to prayer from mosques near their homes for different reasons. In addition to comments tha...

Historical accounts have often been wielded by those in power, regardless of their intentions. So what does history actually tell us? A historical narrative of a community’s established structure and everyday life in a defined geographic area can be informative. By comparing how institutions have been reorganized over time to better serve the practical needs of the community, one can make judgments about progress or regression. However, when two communities with vastly different experiences come into conflict and one gains an advantage over the other in a field of the other community’s life practices, it’s unclear whether the victorious community is necessarily more mature. *** When considering conflict, it becomes tempting to judge the qualities of the victor as evidence of their superiority. However, it’s important not to overlook the context in which communities evolve. This context is inevitably economic and political, just like the ground where conflict occurs. Thus, our basic cri...