Digital heritage and ritual practices in urban mosques: a design-evaluation study

Thesis Abstract

This study examines how digital heritage representations within urban mosque spaces shape contemporary ritual practices and community belonging, addressing the gap between traditional worship practices and digitally mediated experiences in rapidly urbanizing contexts. The aim is to design, implement, and evaluate a digital heritage intervention that integrates multimedia narratives, interactive archiving, and augmented reality (AR) guides to enhance ritual engagement while preserving core devotional norms. Specific objectives are (1) to map current digital engagement practices in five urban mosques and identify tensions between heritage storytelling and ritual sanctity; (2) to design a co-creative digital heritage prototype rooted in Islamic art, calligraphy, and architectural history, aligned with fiqh-compliant usability criteria; (3) to implement the prototype in two pilot mosques over a three-month period; (4) to evaluate acceptability, perceived authenticity, and effect on ritual participation using mixed methods; and (5) to develop a scalable framework for digital heritage integration in urban mosque contexts. The study employs a mixed-methods design, triangulating qualitative and quantitative data within a pragmatic paradigm informed by practice theory and the social shaping of technology. The population comprises worshippers, mosque administrators, and tour-narrative volunteers in a metropolitan city with a documented diversity of Islamic practices. A purposive sample of 60 worshippers per pilot mosque (120 total) will be recruited for survey administration, complemented by 20 in-depth interviews with clerics and program coordinators and 8 focus groups with youth and first-time visitors. Instruments include a standardized questionnaire measuring perceived ritual authenticity, engagement, and acceptance of digital features; semi-structured interview guides exploring interpretive meanings of heritage representations; and focus group protocols assessing communal belonging and intergenerational transfer. Data collection will occur in three phases baseline survey and interviews prior to prototype deployment, ongoing ethnographic observation during the three-month pilot, and post-implementation surveys and interviews. Validity will be enhanced through triangulation, member checking, and pilot testing of instruments; reliability will be established via Cronbach’s alpha (>0.7) for multi-item scales. Quantitative data will be analyzed with descriptive statistics, t-tests, and multiple regression analyses to identify factors predicting ritual engagement and acceptance of digital interventions. Qualitative data will undergo thematic analysis using NVivo, guided by a coding framework anchored in practice theory and digital heritage discourse, with intercoder reliability checks (Cohen’s kappa > 0.8). A convergent parallel design will integrate findings to assess how design features influence ritual flow, reverence, and communal identity. The study will draw on theories of cultural heritage (UNESCO heritage framework), practice theory (Schatzki, Reckwitz), and technology-mediated religious experience (technology affordances and ritual affordances) to interpret results. A conceptual model will illustrate relationships among digital heritage design elements, ritual authenticity, and social belonging, with implications for governance, ethics, and sustainability. Key expected findings include (i) identification of design-practice congruences and frictions between digital storytelling and established ritual sequences; (ii) evidence that carefully curated digital heritage narratives can deepen participants’ sense of place and intergenerational transmission without compromising ritual sanctity; (iii) differential effects across demographics, notably stronger acceptance and engagement among younger worshippers when AR guides are paired with optional, non-intrusive displays; (iv) practical design guidelines for multilingual content, inclusivity, and data sovereignty within mosque precincts; and (v) a scalable framework for co-design processes that engages clerics, volunteers, and congregants. The study contributes to knowledge by integrating digital heritage with lived religious practice in urban religious architecture, offering a rigorous design-evaluation model applicable to other religious spaces facing digital modernization pressures. The main conclusion is that when digital heritage interventions are co-designed with religious authorities, respect ritual boundaries, and foreground user-centered accessibility, they can enhance cultural transmission and communal belonging. Recommendations include (a) adopting modular, opt-in digital features with clear signage and consent mechanisms; (b) establishing governance protocols for content accuracy, sensitivity, and archival integrity; (c) developing training programs for mosque staff and volunteers in digital heritage storytelling; and (d) pursuing longitudinal follow-ups to assess long-term impacts on ritual practice and community cohesion.