Suad Amiry facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Suad Amiry
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| Born | 1951 (age 73–74) |
| Nationality | Palestinian |
| Occupation | Architect |
Suad Amiry (Arabic: سعاد العامري) was born in 1951. She is a Palestinian writer and architect. She lives in the city of Ramallah in the West Bank.
Contents
Suad Amiry's Early Life and Education
Suad Amiry's parents moved from Palestine to Amman, Jordan. She grew up there. Later, she went to Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, to study architecture.
She studied architecture at three different universities:
- The American University of Beirut
- The University of Michigan in the United States
- The University of Edinburgh in Scotland
How Suad Amiry Came to Live in Ramallah
In 1981, Suad Amiry visited Ramallah as a tourist. There, she met Salim Tamari. They later got married, and she decided to stay and live in Ramallah.
Suad Amiry's Career as an Architect and Author
Suad Amiry is known for her work as an architect and for her books. She has done many important things in her career.
Her Famous Book: Sharon and My Mother-in-Law
One of Suad Amiry's most famous books is Sharon and My Mother-in-Law. This book has been translated into 19 different languages. The Arabic version became a bestseller in France.
In 2004, the book won a special award in Italy called the Viareggio Prize. She shared this award with Manuela Dviri, a journalist and writer from Italy and Israel.
Working for Peace
From 1991 to 1993, Suad Amiry was part of a Palestinian group working for peace. This group held talks in Washington, D.C.. She has also been involved in other important peace efforts between Palestinian and Israeli women.
For example, in 1993, she helped coordinate the Palestinian team for a special event. This event was the Folklife Festival at the Smithsonian Institution, which celebrates different cultures.
Role in the Palestinian Government
From 1994 to 1996, Suad Amiry worked for the Palestinian Authority. She was the Assistant Deputy Minister and Director General of the Ministry of Culture. This means she helped lead the cultural activities for the Palestinian people.
Founding the Riwaq Centre
Suad Amiry is the founder and director of the Riwaq Centre for Architectural Conservation. She started this center in 1991. It was the first center of its kind to focus on saving and protecting old buildings in Palestine.
She used to work at Birzeit University until 1991. After that, she focused on her work at Riwaq. In 2006, she was also chosen to be a vice-chairperson on the Board of Trustees for Birzeit University.
The Work of the Riwaq Centre
The Riwaq Centre does important work to preserve Palestine's architectural history. They help protect old buildings and public spaces.
Cataloging Historical Buildings
One of Riwaq's first big projects was to create a list of all the important historical buildings in Palestine. They finished this list in 2004. It included 50,000 buildings, and about half of them were empty.
Creating Jobs Through Conservation
In 2001, Riwaq started a ten-year program called tashgheel. This program helped create jobs by training workers to restore old buildings. They learned how to use traditional materials and building methods.
The 50 Villages Project
In 2005, Riwaq launched another project called the "50 villages project." In this project, they helped restore public areas in villages. They also encouraged villagers to help fix up their own homes.
Riwaq has also worked on special places called "throne villages" (qura al-karasi). These were important centers for collecting taxes during the time of the Ottoman Empire.
Books Written by Suad Amiry
Suad Amiry has written many books, often about architecture, Palestinian life, and her own experiences. Here are some of her works:
- Space, Kinship and Gender: The Social Dimension of Peasant Architecture in Palestine. University of Edinburgh Press (1987)
- The Palestinian Village Home. British Museum Press. (1989) (with Vera Tamari)
- Traditional Floor Tiles in Palestine. Riwaq monograph. (2000)
- Earthquake in April. Institute of Palestine Studies. (2003)
- Sharon and My Mother-in-Law : Ramallah Diaries. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group (2005)
- Nothing to Lose but Your Life: An 18-Hour Journey with Murad. (Paperback) Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing (2010)
- Menopausal Palestine: Women at the Edge. Women Unlimited. (2010)
- Golda Slept Here. Hamad Bin Khalifa University Press. (2014)
- My Damascus. Olive Branch Press. (2021)
- Mother of Strangers: A Novel. Pantheon Books. (2022)
Awards and Recognition
Suad Amiry has received several awards for her work:
- In 2022, her novel "Mother of Strangers" was recognized by NPR Books We Love.
- In 2013, she received the Aga Khan Award for Architecture. This was for her work with RIWAQ on revitalizing the historic center of Birzeit.
Images for kids
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Suad Amiry
See also
In Spanish: Suad Amiry para niños
