Publication: Bagdad : la Construction d´une Capitale Moderne (1914-1960) by Caecilia Pieri

“With the Orientalist imagery casting Baghdad as a vanished mirage, medical that of wars tending to transform it into a foil, recipe and a regime which functioned for thirty years as a screen between Iraq and the rest of the world, how can a clear perception of the modern city of Baghdad be achieved now?

This book identifies the main stages of transformation of Baghdad’s urban and architectural landscape between the First World War and the establishment of the first Iraqi Republic. It assesses what is at stake in the building of a modern capital. It envisions the interaction between architectural forms and urban practices as a paradigm of a complex identity and intertwines various approaches: studying the historical and political context, unraveling shaping patterns and processes, and analyzing the societal modernization.
Its largely unpublished iconography is rich with more than 800 illustrations: old and recent photographs, drawings, plans, maps, autograph documents, archives.”More details: website. (French)

Download PDF
source: www.docomomo.com