I.1.c. Investigation : Self-Discovery through Space as an immersive emotional experience

I.1.c. Self-Discovery through Space as an Immersive Emotional Experience “

Every man should have a place where he can have communion with himself and his surroundings, a personal environment free from disharmony and frustrations, a place to nurture his ideals and aspirations. “ FAY JONES*

INTRODUCTOIN After defining the main concept of the retreat which is the inner spiritual journey that is held in a natural space in order to reflect, Restore and reconnect to the authentic self. First, we are going to dig into the spaces where individuals usually retreat and what their specificities are. Second, we were wondering what the opinion of people about this notion is and whether they felt this reconnection before, how, and where. So we can identify other spaces, related more to our culture, where we can have this mystic feeling and the parameters or the stimulus for it to happen.

A/ A place for Retreat :

a/Maqam :

The Maqam is is intended to house the tomb of a particular saint and to host the rites and rituals of the area. It can also house various educational and social functions. Architecturally speaking, we can distinguish several types of Maqam, ranging from the simplest, those with a single room, to the most complex composed of several rooms surrounding a central courtyard.

Figure n°23: Maqam Sidi Belhassen ( source alchourouk.com)

The spirituality of the Maqam is not restricted to its internal space but extends over limits. In fact, the surrounded nature can have a relationship with the spiritual through the anchoring of its roots in this space and its impregnation of the mystical atmosphere of the place. Another specificity, is that they are usually in isolated places (forest,valley, island...), and planted on higher level (mountain, hill...) which also add another spiritual aspect. This text is extracted from Hind’s Ziadi (Tunisian author and professor ) book “Ghaliyah” where she talks about her hometown, and here she describes how people from her village have this ritual when a girl is about to get married: they go to the maqam of Sidi Abderrahmane with the future bride and they could spend days to weeks there retreating.

“ The Girls on Ramadan talked us about the visits of Sidi Abd al-Rahmane ...The cousins, and the families would go with their baskets of food and then they go up the mountain, and there they spend days that can be extended to a week or two. “

” تلائاعلاو لاخلا تانبو معلا تانب بهذتف ... نماحرلا دبع يديس تارايز نع ةيناضمرلا انترهس في تايتفلا انتثدح“. ينعوبسأ وأ اعوبسأ حبصتل دتتم دق امايأ كانه نوثكيمو لبجلا نودعصي مث مهداز مهعم نولمحيو ةرهاصتلما18 .

Retreating ... Healing ...

Figure n°24: Maqam Sidi Abderrahmane ( source Tunisie.co) In the multitude of possible expressions, the main room of the maqam constitutes the invariable element, presents a fixed architectural formula which consists of resting a dome on a cubic volume. This structure, which has existed since antiquity, was recovered by the Islamic civilization and used in its religious architecture. The adoption of this form by the Muslims was not random. On the contrary, this appropriation was the result of the validity of this structure and its physical and symbolic alignment with the spiritual consciousness and aspirations of the Islamic world. In what follows, we will begin a symbolic reading of the three main elements.

Sky

The circle of the hemispheric dome: The circle has no beginning and no end. It refers to eternity, to the eternal, to the infinite. The Divine has been suggested to Sufi thinkers by the circle and its center. Geometrically as well as ideally, the point represents the center (God), which is not measurable (knowable), and can be invisible, but cannot exist, just as God is invisible. Ibn Arabi says: “The rays of the circle have their principle and their end in God, because it is in Him that everything returns.” The circle is the geometric projection of the dome.

Ground

The square of the base: The square is the most fixed simple geometric shape. It symbolizes the earth on a macrocosmic scale, and man on a microcosmic scale. It also embodies the material world and physical experience.

b/Ashram :

An ashram is a place where Hindu community lives apart from the rest of society and offers spiritual or religious retreats. It would traditionally be positioned remote from human habitation, in forests or hilly regions, surrounded by invigorating natural environs favorable to spiritual education and meditation. Residents of an ashram engaged in spiritual and physical exercises such as various forms of yoga on a regular basis.

Figure n°25: Sabarmati Ashram ( source Wiki)