Colloque international : « A Church, A Mosque. lnterdisciplinary Conversations between Architecture and Art History » (Alexandrie, 18-20 mai 2026)
Organised by Fatma Keshk, Sabine Frommel, and Thomas Faucher. 18-20 May 2026
Monday May 18th
Institut français d’Egypte à Alexandrie
Pre-Conference: Opening Keynote
- 18:00 –19:30: Inaugural Keynote Lecture
o Mohamed Dessouki: St. Mark’s Church in Manshiyya Square.
- 19:30: Welcome Cocktail Reception.
Tuesday May 19th: Full Session (09:00 – 17:00)
Anna Lindh Foundation
Theme: Transfers, Hybridization, and Materiality
- 09:30 –10:00: Welcome Remarks & Introduction.
o Josep Ferré, Anna Lindh executive director
o Sabine Frommel, Fatma Keshk and Thomas Faucher
- 10:00 –11:30: Session 1 –The Iberian Peninsula & Mediterranean Models
o Felix Arnold: Hybrid architecture on the Iberian Peninsula: Dichotomies between form and space (9th-11th century CE).
o Luis Rueda:Coptic vs. Christian Iberian Woodworking: Two Ways of Assimilating Islamic Arts.
o Carlos Plaza: Cultural Interaction Spaces: Mosque-Churches in the Hispanic Renaissance, from Seville to Mexico.
- 11:30 –12:00: Coffee Break.
- 11:30 –13:00: Session 2 –Between Rome, Byzantium, and Istanbul
o David Hendrix: The Conversions of Byzantine Churches in Istanbul and Thessaloniki.
o Sabine Frommel: Rome and Istanbul in the 16th Century: The Architectural Treatise as a Vector of Transmission.
- 13:00 –14:30: Lunch break (for speakers only).
- 14:30 –16:00: Session 3 –Symbolism, Light, and Imperial Significance
o Eman Shokry Hesham: Red Porphyry: Survival of the Imperial Significance.
o Nader Gharib: Contemporary Natural Lighting Techniques for Symbolic Expression in Religious Architecture.
o Manfred Luchterhandt: Defilers of Islam: Al-Turtusi’s Critique of Christian Aesthetics in Early Mosque Architecture and its cultural Background.
- 16:00 –17:00: Round Table Discussion: Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Sacred Space.
- 19:30: Dinner (speakers only). Greek club in Qaitbay (White and Blue).
Wednesday May 20th: Morning Sessions & Site Visits
Anna Lindh Foundation
Theme: Memory, Modernity, and Local Identities
- 09:00 –10:30: Session 4 –19th Century Neoclassicism & Modernity
o Barbara von Orelli: Squaring the Circle. Gottfried Semper’s Dresden Synagogue:An Oscillation Between the Forms of the Church, the Mosque, and the Synagogue.
o Mathieu Lours: Neoclassical Churches, Temples, and Synagogues (Mid-18th to Mid-19th Century France).
o Kristina Seiling: Minaret and Church Tower: Hassan Fathy’s Mosque in New Gourna and Coptic Sacred Architecture.
- 10:30 –11:00: Coffee Break.
- 11:00 –12:30: Session 5 –Plural Memories and Urban Landscapes
o Kathrin Machinek & Mahmoud Said: Alexandria: cathedrals and congregational mosques in a cosmopolitan city.
o Alaa El-Habashi: Sacred Places – Heritage Places: The Evaluation of Authenticity in Selected Churches and Mosques in Egypt.
o Souad Toumi: Goulette: History, Multiple Architecture, and Plural Memory.
o Sabine Frommel, Fatma Keshk: Concluding Remarks and Perspective on Heritage.
- 13:00 –14:00: Closing Lunch (for speakers only).
Afternoon: Architectural Site Visits (for speakers only)
- 14:30 –15:15: Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque
o An exploration of the neo-Islamic style developed by Mario Rossi, illustrating the 20thcentury dialogue between Mediterranean traditions.
- 15:30 –16:00: Synagogue of Alexandria
o The Eliyahu Hanavi Synagogue in Alexandria stands as a testament to Egypt’s Jewish heritage, renowned for its Italian-built architecture.
- 16:15 –17:00: St. Catherine’s Cathedral
o A landmark of the Latin Catholic community in Alexandria, showcasing European inspired sacred architecture.
