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Examining the Political and Colonial Functions of Landscape Photography in the Geographical Construction of the Holy Land, 1850–1950
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Sona Moayedzadeh   , Mohammad Khodadadi motarjemzadeh |
| Farabi Campus, Tehran University of Art, Iran. |
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Abstract: (7 Views) |
This study investigates the political and colonial functions of landscape photography in the geographical construction of the Holy Land and analyzes the representational strategies through which the West appropriated this territory. Adopting a critical framework, it seeks to address how landscape photography, as a visual, ideological, and discursive medium, facilitated the colonial occupation of biblical sites while simultaneously contributing to the construction and reconfiguration of the Holy Land’s geography. To this end, the research examines photographs of landscapes and sites in the Holy Land taken between the late nineteenth and the mid-twentieth centuries. Employing a qualitative, historical-analytical methodology, the data have been collected from library and archival sources. The findings reveal that, during this period, landscape photography operated as a powerful instrument in Western imperial projects across the region. Through the systematic omission of historical, cultural, and human traces, it produced a new visual geography of the Holy Land that legitimized Zionist identity and the territorial appropriation of land. Furthermore, by linking local sites to European religious narratives, landscape photography constructed a sacred visual domain that played a central role in shaping the geography of Zionist religiosity and in reproducing an idealized, utopian image of the Holy Land. The study concludes that a critical reinterpretation of such landscape photographs not only enriches the understanding of the history of photography but also offers insight into contemporary geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, particularly the enduring territorial conflicts between Palestine and Israel.
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Article number: 3 |
| Keywords: Colonial politics, landscape photography, geographical construction, Holy Land, Orientalism. |
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Full-Text [DOCX 3328 kb]
(4 Downloads)
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Type of Study: Research |
Received: 2025/10/10 | Accepted: 2025/11/18 | Published: 2025/11/18
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