Gabriela Veloso Kamienski

My name is Gabriela, and I am a Coventry master's student from Brazil. Last semester, I started studying Islamic architecture, which led me to research further into Islamic houses. This research led me to the conclusion that society, in general, is made of layers. In Islamic culture, I could identify seven different layers of privacy, which made me think about how we can apply them in an urban environment. The Abu Darwish Mosque is located in East Amman. The Mosque accommodates up to 2,400 worshippers, mostly men. The male domination of the plaza increases on the traditional Friday prayers when women do not feel safe or welcome; they feel exposed. Inaayah is an Arabic woman's name that means help, care, and protection. The Inaayah Centre is a space in the adjacencies of the Abu Darwish Mosque. It's main goal is to enhance the public space while mediating the existent gap between women and the Mosque. It creates an infrastructure for women to meet, pray, and rest. The centre also provides different privacy levels as they move through the building, which works almost like a dance. It is a place for women to feel safe being on their own.