Established in 2012, Tamayouz is ​an international architectural award, a scholarship fund, international design workshops and training & internship programs. The Tamayouz Excellence Award is an independent initiative with no political affiliation, which aims to advance the profession of architecture both academically and professionally. Tamayouz drives the evolution of design excellence in Iraq and the wider Middle East region and thus provides a healthy cultural and architectural environment in the region. In 2018, 1026 entries were submitted for the award’s 7 categories, coming from 74 countries:

Awards and Prizes:

• The Tamayouz Lifetime Achievement Award:  Launched in 2014, aims to celebrate the pioneers of Iraqi architecture, is presented annually to an individual who has had a significant contribution towards the advancement of architecture in Iraq.

• The Tamayouz Women in Architecture and Construction Award – Near East & North Africa: Launched in 2013, this award aims to celebrate the achievements of women who have contributed to the fields of architecture and construction throughout the Near East and North Africa.  The award consists of two categories; women of outstanding achievements and rising stars.

• The Mohamed Makiya Prize for Architecture:  Launched in 2014, this prize is presented annually to the Middle Eastern architectural personality of the year, which will be the individual / organisation that has made the greatest contribution towards the advancement of architecture in a specific period.  

• The Rifat Chadirji Prize: Launched in 2017, a thematic international prize focuses on proposing designs responding to local challenges.  The prize aims to introduce local challenges to the world and invite them to submit their ideas and to establish an uncompromising open source of ideas tackling social issues through design.  

• The Dewan Award: Launched in 2018, an international award which aims to Empowering young architects around the world, while responding to design challenges in Iraq.

• Tamayouz International for Graduation Projects:  Launched in 2016, this award aims to celebrate excellence in architectural education and is open to architecture, graduation and landscape design students worldwide to submit their graduation projects, winners received a scholarship for an MSc in Architecture at the polytechnic university of Milan.

• Tamayouz for Iraqi Graduation Projects:  Launched in 2012 and the first ever Tamayouz category to be launched, this award aims to support the academics’ efforts in Iraqi universities, reward and promote design excellence at an early stage among young Iraqi architects and to highlight young Iraqi talents.  Winners receive a 3 months internship (salary and accommodation provided) and the Makiya Kufa Charity funded scholarship for 1-year MSc degree at Coventry University.  In 2012 the chairperson of the Tamayouz Excellence award judging panel was Zaha Hadid.