Mohamed Makiya

Mohamed Makiya was born in Baghdad and earned degrees in architecture from Liverpool University and a doctorate in urban planning from King's College, Cambridge. Returning to Iraq, he founded the Department of Architecture at the University of Baghdad in 1959, serving as its first dean and shaping the profession across the Middle East.

Makiya was a master of Islamic revival architecture, seamlessly integrating traditional brick vaulting, geometric tilework, and climatic courtyard principles into modern institutional complexes. His celebrated designs include the Khulafa Mosque in Baghdad, the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Oman, and the Kuwait State Mosque. He lived to 101, an elder statesman of Arab architecture.