“It never occurred to me that this shy, veiled girl would travel to Kairouan to pursue her research, but she did.”
– Dr. Muhammad Faisal Al-Rifai, supervisor of Najwa Othman’s doctoral thesis, the University of Aleppo.¹
Dr. Najwa Ahmed Othman has shone in the Syrian achievements field, which she has enriched with knowledge and giving. Even in her absence, Dr. Najwa’s presence is still felt, as she left behind a scientific legacy on par with those of renowned institutions. Her contributions have benefited Arab and international libraries, and she has donated her library to scholars and students of knowledge.
At the beginning of her life, Dr. Najwa Othman was born in 1954 in the Al-Bab District, Aleppo Governorate. She was a renowned scholar specializing in the history of engineering and architecture. As well as her extensive practical activity has established her as a respected researcher in the field of scientific history, at the level of Syria, Arab countries, and the world.
She was passionate about traditional, architectural, and intellectual Arab Culture, which she enriched with her research and studies. After she passed away, her personal library was donated to the al-Waqifiyya Library in Aleppo City so that it is available for scholars and interested individuals.
In her childhood, Dr. Najwa Othman grew up in a house filled with knowledge and literature. Her father, Ahmed Al-Hamoud Othman, was a scholar of Arabic grammar and was approached by all those who had grammar-related issues. This is why he instilled a love for learning in all his children, who have earned bachelor’s and doctorate degrees. Thus, this family became a beacon for science.² As for Dr. Najwa, she completed her elementary and middle school education in her hometown, Al-Bab District, then attended Muawiya High School for Girls and earned her high school diploma in 1973.¹
She earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Aleppo in 1978. Following that, she worked as a lecturer in the Department of History and Archaeology at the same university. After three years of teaching, she proceeded to study the Arab-Islamic heritage and joined the Institute of Arab Scientific Heritage, where she earned a master’s degree in “History of Science among the Arabs.” In 1991; she presented a paper titled “Structural Engineering in the Mosques of Aleppo.” In 1998, she obtained her Ph.D. through a comprehensive scientific, research, and field study conducted in the city of Kairouan. Moreover, her doctoral thesis was titled “A Comparative Study Between the Ancient Mosques of Aleppo and the City of Kairouan in Tunisia.”
Dr. Najwa Othman’s contributions to the field of intellectual research are significant and remarkable. Some notable highlights include:
Additionally, there were several books by Dr. Najwa Othman that were under editing when she passed away, including:
In addition to her literary legacy, Dr. Najwa Othman received recognition and awards for her contributions, including:
Dr. Najwa Othman enriched the Arab Library with 35 research papers and scientific studies. She actively participated in numerous conferences, seminars, and research sessions.
Unfortunately, time did not help Dr. Najwa Othman to complete many of her scientific projects and pursue her distinguished scientific career. She dedicated herself to each research endeavor, investing substantial effort in theoretical and practical exploration. She traveled to different regions to gather evidence and images to enrich her studies. One notable example is her work on “The Historic Monuments in Aleppo, Kilis, and Gaziantep.” It is worth noting that after her death, the University of Aleppo published this book translated into Turkish in 2009 (with one page in Arabic and one page in Turkish).
Her brother, Professor Hassan Othman, shared a story:
Dr. Othman once showed me a letter she had received from the University of Cambridge in Britain, offering her a contract to teach the history of engineering with a high salary. Yet, she turned it down, stating, “I want to use my knowledge to benefit the people of my country.” It is worth noting that Cambridge University is one of the world’s most prestigious universities.
Engineer Bassam Al-Amouri, Head of the Media and Publication Committee at the Syndicate Branch, wrote: “Dr. Najwa Othman’s premature departure left an irreplaceable void. Her generosity knew no bounds, her sincerity was unparalleled, and her understanding of engineering, heritage, literature, and media was extraordinary.”³
Dr. Othman lost her life on February 9, 2009, in a traffic accident near Saraqib on Aleppo-Homs Road after the bus overturned. That accident claimed the lives of all passengers, including two Algerian researchers who were accompanying Dr. Najwa on a research trip to Jableh on the Syrian coast.²
As the Uplifting Syrian Women team, we take immense pride in every woman who masters her field and becomes an inspiration to all knowledge seekers. Dr. Najwa Othman represents the persistent Syrian woman who chose science as a path to uplift herself and her country.
Also read:
References:
[2] E Syria
[3] City Albab