The Building as a Statement of an Artefact: The Mijmara

Abstract

The impact of the socio-cultural behaviour and traditions on the built environment is undeniable. Some of these impacts are unconscious and instinctive whereas some are direct and didactic, speaking by a more or less perfect realisation, or through a code of symbols, accompanied by traditions which explained them. This research aims to describe the importance of frankincense and incense burning for Dhofar region, Oman and how this culture of incense burning dictates the buildings’ features of its modern architecture by mimicking the ornament of local incense burner, mijmara, where the building represents the artefact and the myth of incense burning culture, bukhoor Salalah, capital of Dhofar region, is used as a case study for this research which intends to examine the impact of mijmara design features in architecture of Dhofar region, Oman through field study. The research results showed that the unity and reoccurrence of homogeneous features in architecture is oriented towards their unique perception of incense burning culture. This research, with regard to its results, is an applied research and its methods are based on field study using ‘artefacts and site’ tactics through in situ documentation.