An Assessment of the Impact of Design Elements on the Liturgical Space of Church Buildings: Using Churches in the North of Iraq as a Case Study

An Assessment of the Impact of Design Elements on the Liturgical Space of Church Buildings: Using Churches in the North of Iraq as a Case StudyBuildingsSyriaca.org: The Syriac Reference PortalThe National Endowment for the HumanitiesThe International Balzan Prize FoundationDavid A. Michelsoncbsc_adminRecord added to Zotero bycbsc_adminSyriaca.org: The Syriac Reference Portalhttp://syriaca.org/cbss/7T7WMVN4/tei

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2025-05-20-05:00

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CREATED: This bibl record was autogenerated from a Zotero record.Naram MurqusIssaKadhim FathelKhalilAn Assessment of the Impact of Design Elements on the Liturgical Space of Church Buildings: Using Churches in the North of Iraq as a Case Studyhttp://syriaca.org/cbss/7T7WMVN4https://www.zotero.org/groups/a_comprehensive_bibliography_on_syriac_studies/items/7T7WMVN4https://www.zotero.org/groups/4861694/items/7T7WMVN4Buildings14 [1692]20241-19Liturgical space represents the embodiment of Christian theology in church buildings, encompassing both physical and metaphysical aspects. This space carries holiness and sacredness through a set of architectural elements that create sacred and profane zones within the church architecture. For centuries, design elements have shaped the form of Eastern churches in Iraq. This research aimed to answer the following question: what does a participant see at first glance in the liturgical space of a church building? This paper revisits the impact of design elements on the liturgical space of Eastern churches. The research methodology involved analyzing qualitative data using visual attention software (VAS) 3M, version 2024, to examine eye‐tracking data and identify what visitors first noticed when entering these church interiors in Mosul, Iraq. The results highlight the variations and dominance of specific design elements in their impact on Eastern churches. The conclusions emphasize the importance of scientifically based restoration for the perception of design elements in these churches. Issa, Naram Murqus, and Kadhim Fathel Khalil. “An Assessment of the Impact of Design Elements on the Liturgical Space of Church Buildings: Using Churches in the North of Iraq as a Case Study.” Buildings 14 [1692] (2024): 1–19. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14061692. Naram Murqus Issa and Kadhim Fathel Khalil, An Assessment of the Impact of Design Elements on the Liturgical Space of Church Buildings: Using Churches in the North of Iraq as a Case Study, Buildings 14 [1692] (2024): 1–19, https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14061692.