I have met extraordinary people who gave me more than I could ever return: guidance, criticism, belief, and patience. I often came to them with fragments, half-baked ideas riddled with doubt and uncertainty, and yet they trusted the vision long before it took shape.
My mom, Esra -
For trusting me to live in the desert without any real reason to. For trusting my spark of passion and supporting it. For supporting me to even withdraw a semester from my undergrad to explore this newfound interest, and for supporting me to follow wherever it took me, including my master’s degree abroad. She continues to trust my heart and will support me in wherever it pushes me to go.
Dr. Dalal M. Alsayer -
The first to believe in my work. She saw potential when I was still an undergraduate architecture student with a slight interest in astronomy and encouraged me to go to the desert, beyond the boundaries of conventional study. She introduced me to the idea of environmental orientalism, which continues to guide my thinking, and many other essential frameworks in which I continue to see the world. Her generous support, from those first steps to every milestone after, including graduate school, made this project possible.
Professor Laura Kurgan —
My trusted thesis advisor at Columbia GSAPP. She held faith in the work when it was still floating thoughts and she pushed me to find its direction. I admired her way of thinking and was honored to hold such insightful coversations with her. Her mentorship was rigorous, generous, and wise, and it has shaped both this project and my practice.
Aleen AlSuhaibani -
My dear friend, who I found at Columbia University - I thank her for always pushing me to expand this work, for being my first and most patient audience at every stage, and for always finding ways to celebrate it. She continues to be a part of this work and she always will be.
Mr. Majed Al-Zhofi -
The Bedouin astronomer whom I was fortunate to meet by chance. He witnessed my first encounter with the sky and became the first mediator between myself and the stars. He was patient with my endless curiosity and questions. His generosity in sharing his time, books, and knowledge is a facet of this project that I remain loyal to, and one I try to replicate at every stage. Everything I taught in AlUla, and everything I will continue to teach and lecture on, carries part of his knowledge.
Dr. Layla Al-Musawi, Mr. Mohammad AlObaidi, -
Through their generosity and guidance at the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS), they welcomed me into Kuwait’s astronomy community and opened doors to knowledge, conversations, and opportunities that deeply shaped this work. Many of the stories and perspectives that found their way into this project began with their encouragement and support.
Dr. Danielle Adams -
She found me in my graduate stage, and I flew from New York to Arizona, then drove to her home town of Flagstaff. A journal entry from that time:
"She drove me to Sunset Crater, the darkest sky in Flagstaff, and her favorite vantage point. After an hour and a half of sharing our sky stories under the most magical sky, I told her “only you could do this. It had to be someone who was already an astronomer, who then studied Arabic classical poetry. These lines never cross. You’re an expert in two very different things, and that’s why you unlocked this magic. And you did all of this as a non native Arabic speaker. Mashallah. I’m so in awe of you.”
She smiled and said “You give me too much credit, thank you. But I think I’m passing the baton to you now. You’ve got the knowledge, the understanding, the passion. You’ll take this much farther than I did.”
Her trust, scholarship, and generous encouragement continue to be one of the deepest affirmations of this work.