Tamayouz Excellence Award was (founded in 2012) originally an award for graduation projects of Iraqi students of architecture, Tamayouz has grown into a cultural institution with a seven award programme, workshops, public events and conferences.

Its seven awards and competitions not only spread awareness of urban challenges in Iraq and the wider region, they also recognise the region’s legendary and established architects and empower the youth. Through their competitions, they create an open source of architectural ideas that address urban challenges from Iraq and wider region and they invite architects from around the world to participate, engage and exchange knowledge, ideas and experience.

Tamayouz Excellence Award is also behind the region’s only award for women in architecture and construction, which recognises women of outstanding achievement as well as rising stars. Its other awards include the original Iraqi Graduation Projects Award, International Graduation Projects Award, the Rifat Chadirji Prize, the Dewan Award for Architecture, the Middle Eastern Personality of the Year – Mohamed Makiya Prize, and the Lifetime Achievement Award – the programme’s highest honour. In addition to Tamayouz’s awards, it also curates architectural workshops and conferences, which have been held across the Middle East, including Jordan, Egypt and Lebanon.

Since its launch in 2012, Tamayouz Excellence Award has grown from a local award to an internationally recognised award judged by a strong international jury board chaired by renowned academics and architects, such as Dame Zaha Hadid, DBE (2012), Angela Brad PPRIBA (2013), Jane Duncan PRIBA (2014), March Glaudemans (2015) and Dr Rasem Badran (2017 and 2018) and Dia Al-Azzawi (2019).