Exploring the religious and cultural aspects of Baluchistan

Balochistan: Architecture, Craft, and Religious Symbolism, by Dr Mohsen Keiany, is one of the few studies focusing on the culture, architecture and religious traditions of Balochistan (also spelt Baluchistan) and its people. The hardback (ISBN 978-0-19-906784-8) is published by OUP Pakistan, runs to 370 pages and costs £41.99 excluding VAT.                                                     

In this January 2015 research work Dr Keiany, an artist and lecturer in architecture and visual arts at the University of Arts in Isfahan and also at Azad University of Shiraz, Iran, explores the living tradition of Baluchistan and provides a deeper understanding of its religo-cultural aspects. The architectural and artistic traditions are well-documented in this book. The material presented on prayer rugs, tents, and aspects of the nomadic and semi-nomadic architecture is wholly original. 

The research first focuses on the social environment of Baluchistan, in order to understand the input of local culture and tribo-religious influences of local architecture. The Baluchi lifestyle is analysed on a broad plane, taking into account native architecture including mosques and symbolic minarets as key factors, together with their design, characteristics, social contextualisation and methods of production.

About 10% of the world's flags carry Islamic symbols

Source: Pew Research website.

A third of the world’s 196 countries have national flags with religious symbols on them, according to a new Pew Research analysis. According to Pew Research, there are 64 countries in this category, with about half including Christian symbols (48%) and about a third including Islamic religious symbols (33%).

Islamic symbols are found on the flags of 21 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, the Asia-Pacific region and the Middle East and North Africa, the thinktank said. The national flag of Bahrain features five white triangles, symbolising the Five Pillars of Islam, Pew noted. Turkey, Brunei and Uzbekistan are some of the other countries that include an Islamic star and crescent on their national flag.

Although Singapore has a crescent and stars on its flag, they do not have religious significance, Pew added. The crescent moon “represents a young nation on the ascendant, and the five stars depict Singapore’s ideals of democracy, peace, progress, justice and equality,” according to the Singapore government.