Architectural and urban heritage

How have cities and architecture evolved and transformed? We study architecture from a range of historic periods that help communicate the rich history of societies, cultures and human civilisations.

From ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia in Iraq and Roman architecture in the Levant to medieval structures in Nottingham, Ahmadabad and Beijing and modern architecture in the UK and the Middle East, our research records, documents, preserves and protects endangered and vulnerable architectural and urban heritage that is at risk of erasure or destruction due to conflict, deterioration, natural disasters or climate change.

We deploy multiple and interconnected methods to research and investigate rich architectural and urban heritage, looking at their sustainable preservation and future evolution as a living organism and fabric within our cities and cultures. Those include architectural and spatial surveys, digitisation of physical and architectural attributes, customs, photo archives, film footage and oral histories.

Led by Professor Gamal Abdelmonem, our research team is the world-leading authority in this field leading projects across the globe working with governments, institutions and enterprises in countries like China, India, Iraq, Egypt, the UK and Jordan.

Featured projects

Post-conflict Mosul heritage

Preserving the disappearing cultural heritage of post-war Mosul, Iraq: Valuing diversity in the urban recovery of Mosul’s old districts

2018-2023
Partners: Nottingham Trent University (UK), The University of Mosul, University of Wasit (Iraq), University of Leeds (UK), State Board of Antiquities and Heritage (Iraq)
Funder: British Academy
Project website

Curating heritage legacies: Mobilising youth engagement for co-creation of cultural diversity and urban memory of post-conflict Mosul

2023-2025
Partners: Nottingham Trent University (UK), The University of Mosul, University of Wasit (Iraq), University of Leeds (UK), State Board of Antiquities and Heritage (Iraq)
Funder: British Academy
Project website

Preserving ancient and medieval heritage

LABYRINTH: Conservation, analysis and virtual reconstruction of archaeological site of Hawara Pyramid and Labyrinth (El Fayoum)

2018-2023
Partners: Nottingham Trent University (UK), National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics, Egypt, Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Egypt), University of Leeds (UK)
Funders: Arts and Humanities Research Council (UK), Science, Technology and Development Fund (Egypt)
Project website

Virtual reality of medieval culture: Collaborative network for culturally-fed virtual heritage platforms of medieval Cairo

2016-2017
Partners: Nottingham Trent University (UK), National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics and Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Egypt)
Funder: Arts and Humanities Research Council (UK)

Re-envisioning humanitarian heritage

Heritage borders of engagement network – ENGAGE: building humanitarian heritage partnership and knowledge exchange framework for displaced communities

2020-2022
Partners: Nottingham Trent University, University of Nottingham & University of Leeds (UK); PRAXIS-India, CEPT University, Ahmadabad, School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi (India); Cairo University (Egypt), University of Baghdad and University of Wasit (Iraq)
Funders: Nottingham Trent University, Global Heritage Research Theme, Research England
Project website

Heritage borders of engagement network - ENGAGE: mobilising cultural heritage for building partnerships and institutions for sustainable and inclusive peace

2019-2020
Partners: Nottingham Trent University, University of Nottingham & University of Leeds (UK); PRAXIS-India, CEPT University, Ahmadabad, School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi (India); Cairo University (Egypt), University of Baghdad and University of Wasit (Iraq)
Funders: Arts and Humanities Research Council, Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) - Network Plus Programme
Project website