This mixed method research analyses urban heritage and identity management concerning Karbala, and important spiritual and historical center. Homing in on particular spatial issues germane to Muharram’s rites, this study explores spiritual activities for the remembrance of the martyrdoms of Imam Hussein (A) and his brother Abbas (A), and their followers (RA), and identifies the way in which such activities construct urban identity in Karbala. Furthermore, this study contemplates the deployment of contemporary AR and VR technologies for urban identity. After reviewing extensive studies on religious, cultural, and urban heritage, a field survey of the Muharram pilgrimage in Karbala was conducted, spatially analyzing pilgrims’ movements in public areas. Virtual reconstructions of Karbala using immersive technologies are explored to increase visitor engagement to determine physical-virtual spatial interactions’ shaping of preservation and experiences. The results indicate that Muharram rites, especially Hussaini processionals, inherently embody urban, cultural, and religious identifications with Karbala, literally shaping the city’s physical form and promoting social engagement in temporary congregation areas. Furthermore, the virtual technological immersive experiences, including the Day of Ashura, promote ancillary and even remote comprehension of cultural importance and knowledge transmission. Additionally, the integration of VR and AR in cultural heritage preservation not only enhances historical documentation but also creates immersive educational experiences. These technologies bridge the gap between physical and virtual engagement, ensuring that visitors—both present and remote—can interact with Karbala’s cultural legacy in a meaningful way. This approach fosters a stronger emotional and cognitive connection to the city's rich spiritual and historical narratives. This study is original in its multipronged analysis, encompassing virtual technology and spatial analysis for complementary heritage and culture conservation and reconstruction in Karbala. It offers urban planning, cultural preservation, and technological development insights, and charts the course for sensitive modernization in Karbala. Copyright: ©2025 The authors.
With the advancement of technology ,the study of cross-cultural communication via on line has become an important and researchable topic in linguistic theory and its applications.The aims of this study are two- fold (a) exploring the influence of cultural diversity on on-line interaction between American native speakers (NSs) and Iraqi non-native speakers (NNSs) of English which, together with other factors might potentially lead to what Thomas(1983) calls "pragmatic failure" (PF), a main cause of communication breakdowns and (b) specifying which type of PF occurs more frequently between the two groups along with the reasons behind such failures. To achie
... Show MoreThe present paper examines the genre of death notices in Iraqi newspapers in terms of its schematic and socio-cultural structure. Adopting Swales' [1990] rhetorical approach to genre analysis, the study has examined a corpus of 150 death texts
With the advancement of technology ,the study of cross-cultural communication via on line has become an important and researchable topic in linguistic theory and its applications.The aims of this study are two- fold (a) exploring the influence of cultural diversity on on-line interaction between American native speakers (NSs) and Iraqi non-native speakers (NNSs) of English which, together with other factors might potentially lead to what Thomas(1983) calls "pragmatic failure" (PF), a main cause of communication breakdowns and (b) specifying which type of PF occurs more frequently between the two groups along with the reasons behind such failures. To achieve these objectives , a number of online chats conducted between
... Show MoreThe subject of education, and since time immemorial, gripe the attention of the religious, intellectual, political, social and economic elites. This attention not only in Iraq, but in different countries in the world. There is a close correlation between the educational level of the societies and the edginess of its rising and advancement in all fields.
In order to achieve the research objectives, the research has been divided into three sections: section I include the historical, scientific, humanitarian evolution of education, starting from the first economic revolution (The Agricultural revolution) through the second economic revolution (The Industrial Revolution) and till the Third Economi
... Show MoreThe research aims to monitor and analyze the visual and symbolic features, derived from the Omani heritage, and inspired by the concept of local identity, for a selection of contemporary Omani graphic art works, which represent a mixed, multi-category of research sample, comprising three levels: the works of professional Omani artists, and the works of young artists and specialized students, as well as the work of a number of active academics in the field of graphic theorizing and teaching. The sample is also divided - in terms of technical classification - into a category of works executed using traditional engraving and printing media, and a category of works executed using modern and digital graphic printing media.
Through the da
In The Name Of God the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful [Should he not know he that created? And he is the one that understands the finest mysteries (and) is well-acquainted] surah Al-Mulk verse No. (14), this Qur’anic verse is one of the pieces of evidence that indicates the suitability of Sharia for the human life, since God Almighty created the creation and he is the best-known concerning the needs of his creation to survive and for life to continue.
One of the key ways for the continuity of human life is Sharia's possession of the feature of suitability for every time and place, and for the whole world, and it is comprehensive to all the details of life and its integrated systems, a systems that comp
... Show MoreBackground: The Covid-19 pandemic changed the world; its most important achievement for education was changing the approach from traditional to virtual education. The present study aimed to investigate the role of virtual education networks on mental health of students including personality, beliefs, scientific, and cultural dimensions, in selected countries.Methods: This was an exploratory and applied study. According to the phenomenology strategy, theoretical saturation occurred after 24 semi-structured and targeted qualitative interviews with teachers from Iran, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon, in 2023. Quantitative data was collected through a researcher-made online questionnaire with 423 participants. Teachers with at least a Bachelor’s degr
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