History of Art and Architecture

Nida Jaffer studies the art and architecture of the medieval Islamic and Mediterranean worlds. Her current research centers on the eco-phenomenology of Islamic art and the materialization of the human-nature relationship in art and architecture. She is particularly interested in how water, as a material and symbolic element, shapes experiences of space, ritual, and authority in the art and architecture of the Fatimid dynasty. 

 

Nida earned her BA in History and MA in Art History from the University of Texas at Dallas at the Edith O’Donnell Institute of Art History. In parallel with her academic work, she has been working on digital humanities initiatives such as “The Muqaddimah,” an educational video game focused on the Great Mosque of Kairouan, and a documentary on medieval Fez, which integrates traditional filmmaking with digital animation. She is a founding member of the MENARAH initiative, a digital research hub dedicated to Islamic art and architecture, which integrates 3D modeling, game design, and documentary filmmaking into the study and preservation of material culture.