Fostering Place Attachment Through Activity: Insights from Qaisaria Buildings in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq –Koya and Kifri as Case Studies

Place attachment represents a fundamental concept for understanding how individuals establish emotional, social, and cognitive ties to the built environment. In the setting of traditional marketplaces, this relationship is commonly shaped by repetitive human activities that reinforce both spatial id...

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Main Authors: Mohammad Ahmed Shehab, Asst. Prof. Dr. Raz Saeed Faraj
Format: Article
Language:Arabic
Published: University of Sulaimania 2025-04-01
Series:Sulaimani Journal for Engineering Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://sjes.univsul.edu.iq/article?id=369
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author Mohammad Ahmed Shehab
Asst. Prof. Dr. Raz Saeed Faraj
author_facet Mohammad Ahmed Shehab
Asst. Prof. Dr. Raz Saeed Faraj
author_sort Mohammad Ahmed Shehab
collection DOAJ
description Place attachment represents a fundamental concept for understanding how individuals establish emotional, social, and cognitive ties to the built environment. In the setting of traditional marketplaces, this relationship is commonly shaped by repetitive human activities that reinforce both spatial identity and cultural meaning. The Qaisaria buildings situated in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq reflect this interplay, functioning as both commercial spaces and community anchors that conserve historical heritage. Despite the popularity of Qaisaria buildings as vibrant gathering spaces, there is limited understanding of how activity influences people's social interaction and attachment to these historic environments. This study aims to investigate how daily activities—such as trade, social gatherings, and cultural exchanges—contribute to strengthening place attachment in two historical Qaisaria buildings located in Koya and Kifri. A mixed-method research design was employed, incorporating qualitative interviews alongside a structured questionnaire as a secondary data collection tool. One hundred sixty questionnaires were distributed to local users (80 per site), assessing six dimensions of place attachment using a five-point Likert scale. The results revealed a contrast between the two sites: while activity in Kifri significantly influenced all dimensions of place attachment, Koya impacted only functional aspects such as Place dependence and place expectation. Koya's emotional and social bonds and other dimensions appeared to depend on other contextual factors beyond activity. The study concludes that the impact of activity on place attachment is context-dependent, shaped by each site's urban, historical, and social conditions. These findings emphasize the importance of integrating dynamic activities in heritage preservation policies to strengthen historic marketplaces' social and functional continuity.
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spelling doaj-art-3a8f1c8daea94f7cb34e3def114852102025-08-20T03:45:07ZaraUniversity of SulaimaniaSulaimani Journal for Engineering Sciences2410-16992415-66552025-04-01112103010.17656/sjes.10193Fostering Place Attachment Through Activity: Insights from Qaisaria Buildings in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq –Koya and Kifri as Case StudiesMohammad Ahmed Shehab0Asst. Prof. Dr. Raz Saeed Faraj1University of Sulaimani/College of Engineering/Architecture DepartmentUniversity of Sulaimani/College of Engineering/Architecture DepartmentPlace attachment represents a fundamental concept for understanding how individuals establish emotional, social, and cognitive ties to the built environment. In the setting of traditional marketplaces, this relationship is commonly shaped by repetitive human activities that reinforce both spatial identity and cultural meaning. The Qaisaria buildings situated in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq reflect this interplay, functioning as both commercial spaces and community anchors that conserve historical heritage. Despite the popularity of Qaisaria buildings as vibrant gathering spaces, there is limited understanding of how activity influences people's social interaction and attachment to these historic environments. This study aims to investigate how daily activities—such as trade, social gatherings, and cultural exchanges—contribute to strengthening place attachment in two historical Qaisaria buildings located in Koya and Kifri. A mixed-method research design was employed, incorporating qualitative interviews alongside a structured questionnaire as a secondary data collection tool. One hundred sixty questionnaires were distributed to local users (80 per site), assessing six dimensions of place attachment using a five-point Likert scale. The results revealed a contrast between the two sites: while activity in Kifri significantly influenced all dimensions of place attachment, Koya impacted only functional aspects such as Place dependence and place expectation. Koya's emotional and social bonds and other dimensions appeared to depend on other contextual factors beyond activity. The study concludes that the impact of activity on place attachment is context-dependent, shaped by each site's urban, historical, and social conditions. These findings emphasize the importance of integrating dynamic activities in heritage preservation policies to strengthen historic marketplaces' social and functional continuity.https://sjes.univsul.edu.iq/article?id=369place attachmentactivityqaisaria buildingurban heritagekurdistan region
spellingShingle Mohammad Ahmed Shehab
Asst. Prof. Dr. Raz Saeed Faraj
Fostering Place Attachment Through Activity: Insights from Qaisaria Buildings in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq –Koya and Kifri as Case Studies
Sulaimani Journal for Engineering Sciences
place attachment
activity
qaisaria building
urban heritage
kurdistan region
title Fostering Place Attachment Through Activity: Insights from Qaisaria Buildings in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq –Koya and Kifri as Case Studies
title_full Fostering Place Attachment Through Activity: Insights from Qaisaria Buildings in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq –Koya and Kifri as Case Studies
title_fullStr Fostering Place Attachment Through Activity: Insights from Qaisaria Buildings in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq –Koya and Kifri as Case Studies
title_full_unstemmed Fostering Place Attachment Through Activity: Insights from Qaisaria Buildings in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq –Koya and Kifri as Case Studies
title_short Fostering Place Attachment Through Activity: Insights from Qaisaria Buildings in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq –Koya and Kifri as Case Studies
title_sort fostering place attachment through activity insights from qaisaria buildings in the kurdistan region of iraq koya and kifri as case studies
topic place attachment
activity
qaisaria building
urban heritage
kurdistan region
url https://sjes.univsul.edu.iq/article?id=369
work_keys_str_mv AT mohammadahmedshehab fosteringplaceattachmentthroughactivityinsightsfromqaisariabuildingsinthekurdistanregionofiraqkoyaandkifriascasestudies
AT asstprofdrrazsaeedfaraj fosteringplaceattachmentthroughactivityinsightsfromqaisariabuildingsinthekurdistanregionofiraqkoyaandkifriascasestudies