REBRANDING THE NATION: IN THE CONTINGENCIES OF ARCHITECTURE AND NATIONAL CELEBRATIONS

Document Type : Specialized scientific research papers

Author

Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, Beni-Suef University, Egypt

10.47436/jaars.2022.108691.1059

Abstract

This paper suggests a tripartite association of architecture, national celebrations, and nation’s branding conveying narratives to national and international levels. This paper focuses on the three periods of Khedive Ismail, Nasser, and Sadat—as three influential periods that epitomized imperial and anti-imperial discursivity. It utilizes scholarly research and coincident discourses, underpinning George Mosse’s the Nationalization of the Masses (1975) and Simon Anholt’s Competitive Identity (2007). It argues that the contingencies of architecture and ‘liturgy’ of celebrations convey a national brand that creates a unified identity and enables global competencies. Although the role of architecture is different for different national celebrations, both architecture and celebrations are essentially coherent—for example, cosmopolitanism brand was conveyed in the Khedival era. Further, while Nasser’s regime conveyed a modern socialist brand, Sadat bestowed the militarism brand. This study is thus a timely instance of architectural encounters, given the contemporary endeavor for reviving the heydays of Egypt through the splendid celebrations by the current state.

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