Interview: "We will do it ourselves": Selma Al Radi on the Restoration of the 'Amiriya Complex, Yemen

Abstract

Selma Al Radi has been one of the primary actors in preservation work in Yemen for the last quarter century. This interview covers Al Radi's central role in the preservation of the 'Amiriya Madrasa, which reopened in 2005. Of particular emphasis is Dr. Al Radi's decision to rely exclusively on the traditional building techniques of qudad and stucco. These methods reinforced the link between the historic building and the surrounding society, thus ensuring the building's preservation in the future and providing valuable renewal of knowledge of traditional building crafts.