QUICK FACTS
Date of Birth
1951
Damascus, Syria
Place of Birth
Why Featured?
Amiry captures the Palestinian ethos through her architectural restoration projects and award-winning literary works, portraying the intimate ramifications of geopolitical strife.
BRIEF BIO
Suad Amiry is a Palestinian conservation architect and author, known for her contributions to preserving architectural heritage and her writings that reflect on Palestinian identity and personal experiences amid conflict. She founded RIWAQ: Centre of Architectural Conservation in Ramallah and has been recognized with several international awards for her work in both architecture and literature.
LAST UPDATED
DATE
Monday, January 26, 2026
MAJOR MILESTONES
Key dates & turning points
1981: Married Salim Tamari and began teaching architecture at Birzeit University.
1991: Became a member of the Palestinian delegation to peace negotiations.
2004: Received Italy’s renowned literary award, the Viareggio-Versilia Prize, for her memoir "Sharon and My Mother-in-Law".
2013: Amiry and her organization RIWAQ were awarded the Aga Khan Award for Architecture.
2018: Authored "Peasant Architecture in Palestine: Space, Kinship and Gender".
CONTRIBUTIONS
What they did, and why it matters
Architectural Conservation: Founded RIWAQ, which focuses on conserving architectural heritage across Palestine, and has won international awards for these efforts...See More
Literature: Wrote "Sharon and My Mother-in-Law," which provides a personal account of living through the Israeli occupation, and won international recognition...See More
Cultural Narratives: Explores Palestinian lives and histories in her writings, including "Golda Slept Here" and "Nothing to Lose But Your Life"...See More
Personal Experience: Her literary works often reflect her personal experiences, including her journey to see her father’s home in Jaffa, which she never visited despite being so close...See More
Fictionalized Historical Account: Authored "Mother of Strangers," a novel that intertwines the lives of real people with the history of Palestine, emphasizing the importance of personal stories in understanding history.
Disclaimer: This chat uses AI to generate responses inspired by the profile content and publicly available information. It does not represent the real person.
Last updated
Jan 26, 2026
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