Hala Qasqas

Barakat Postdoctoral Scholar

Research interests:
Islamic art and material culture; Ottoman urban history; performance and visual culture in the Middle East; coffeehouses and sociability; shadow theatre and popular critique; Syrian heritage studies.

Biography:
I am a Barakat Trust Postdoctoral Fellow at the Khalili Research Centre, University of Oxford. Originally from Damascus, I completed a BA and MA in Interior Design at Damascus University and a PhD in Art History and Visual Studies at the University of Victoria, Canada (2025). My doctoral research examined the recreation culture in early modern Damascus, focusing on coffeehouses and shadow theatre as spaces of public discourse, cultural production, and urban identity. More broadly, I am interested in the intersections of art, architecture, and everyday life in Ottoman Damascus and the ways material and performative traditions shape urban belonging and cultural memory. I also serve as Motion Graphics and Video Production Editor with Khamseen: Islamic Art History Online, where I develop digital storytelling projects to make Islamic art research widely accessible.

Research project:
My current project, Beyond Recreation: Shadow Puppets as Visual and Material Culture in 19th-Century Damascus, investigates how shadow theatre served as a medium of humor, social commentary, and political critique during a period of urban change. By combining the study of shadow play scripts, rare puppet collections, and historical sources, I explore how performance and visual design engaged local audiences and reflected shifting social hierarchies. Comparative analysis with puppetry in Istanbul and Cairo situates Damascus within the wider Ottoman cultural sphere. This research will culminate in a monograph reframing shadow theatre as a key dimension of Islamic art, urban sociability, and intangible heritage.

Selected Publications:
Qasqas, Hala. “A Shadow Puppet from Ottoman Damascus.” In Encounters: Medieval Islamic History in 50 Objects, edited by Marcus Milwright. London: Routledge (forthcoming, 2026).
Qasqas, Hala. “Architectural Ambience and Artistic Interpretation: Damascus in Renaissance Art.” International Journal of Islamic Architecture (forthcoming, 2026).
Qasqas, Hala. “Al-Badri and the Discourse of Beauties: A Study of the Concept of Islamic Garden.” Journal of Architecture and Planning, King Saud University 27, no. 2 (2015).
Qasqas, Hala. “Ibn al-ʿAwwam and the Book of al-Filāha: The Science of Gardening in Islamic Tradition.” IUG Journal of Natural and Engineering Studies, Islamic University–Gaza 22, no. 2 (2014).
Qasqas, Hala. “The Symbolism of Motifs in Abū Subḥī al-Tīnāwī’s Underglass Paintings: Visual Heritage in Damascene Folk Art.” Paper presented at FICCO 25: Second Fujairah International Conference for Calligraphy and Ornamentation, Fujairah, 2025.
Qasqas, Hala. “Oral History and Social Commentary: The Legacy of Shadow Puppetry in 18th-Century Damascus.” Paper presented at The 11th Annual Wollesen Memorial Graduate Symposium, Toronto: University of Toronto, 2024.
Qasqas, Hala. “Liberation in a Cup: Coffee, Controversy, and Community in Damascus.” Paper presented at MIISSC, Montreal: McGill University, 2024.
Qasqas, Hala. “Unraveling the Socio-Urban Fabric: Architectural Insights from the 18th-Century Coffeehouses of Damascus.” Paper presented at MEICON, Vancouver: Simon Fraser University, 2024.
Qasqas, Hala. “Diplomacy and Architectural Ambience: Damascus in Renaissance Art.” Paper presented at Visual Inputs, Victoria: University of Victoria, 2023.
Qasqas, Hala. “The Legitimacy of Coffee and Coffeehouses in Damascus, 1600–1800.” Paper presented at MEICON, Vancouver: University of British Columbia, 2022.