Murad al Daghistani

Murad al-Daghistani was born in Baghdad, Iraq, in 1917. He was a descendant of a prominent political family that played a central role in Iraq's independence and democracy. His father, Kamil Chadirji, was the founder and president of the National Democratic Party. Chadirji studied engineering at the University of Liverpool and architecture at the University of London. He returned to Baghdad in 1952 and started his architectural practice. He designed more than 100 buildings and monuments across Iraq, ranging from residential, commercial, institutional, and cultural projects. He was influenced by the modernist movement, but also sought to integrate the regional and historical characteristics of Iraqi architecture. He called his approach "international regionalism", which aimed to create an architecture that was both contemporary and rooted in the local context. He also experimented with different materials, techniques, and forms, such as concrete, brick, arches, and domes. Some of his notable works include the Tobacco Monopoly Headquarters, the Monument to the Unknown Soldier, the Federation of Industries Building, and the Central Post Office. Chadirji was also a prolific writer, photographer, and educator. He wrote several books and articles on architecture, urbanism, and culture, such as Concepts and Influences: Towards a Regionalized International Architecture, The Changing Rural Habitat, and The Architecture of Iraq in the Third Millennium. He also documented the traditional and modern buildings of Iraq through his photographs, which he collected in his archive. He taught architecture at the Baghdad University and the American University of Beirut. He was also involved in various cultural and political activities, such as founding the Baghdad Modern Art Group, the International Union of Architects, and the Iraqi Democratic Forum. He received several awards and honors for his work, such as the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, the Iraqi Order of Merit, and the Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Institute of British Architects. He died in Baghdad, Iraq, in 1982, at the age of 65. He is regarded as one of the most influential Iraqi architects and urbanists of the 20th century.