Architecture of the Muslim World

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Architecture of the Muslim World

• Islamic Urbanism
• 02/27/07

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Definition

• According to
• Webster an inhabited place of greater size,
  population, or importance than a town or village
  or the people of a city
• Kevin Lynchs three normative theories1
• Cities as cosmic model
• Cities as a machine
• Cities as living organisms
• 1From Good City Form

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Discussion?

• Why cities are important to Islam?
• Is Islamic Urbanism unique?
• Does the morphogenesis of the Islamic city differ
  from those shaping architecture?

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Why cities are important to Islam?

• Monkhood is discouraged
• Mohammed was a member of the urban bourgeoisie
• Emphasis on the relationships between people
• Only by being good to others a person is
  carefully or successfully observing religious
  teachings
• Congressional Friday prayers
• Only in cities, virtuous life may be lived

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In the beginning (6th 7th centuries)

• No formal modifications (similar to others)
• Some structural changes
• Heterogeneous (race and religion)

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Common Characteristics

• Functional links
• Shared values
• Unifying symbol systems

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Non-physical characteristics

• Need to express power
• Need to express unity (prayer in a central Jamia
  Mosque towards a singular direction, Qibla)
• Functioned without explicit municipal autonomy or
  self-governance
• Social Organization
• Educational functions took place at the mosques
• Reflecting the relationship between man and woman
  the city had two personalities interior and
  exterior

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Physical Characteristics

• Diverse percents and origins of forms
• Hourani
• Citadel
• The palace
• The central urban spine (Qasabah)
• Markets (suqs)
• Mosques (hierarchy)
• Schools (madrasas)
• Caravanceries, hamams, and other typologies
• Residential quarters
• Outer suburbs

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Janet Abu Lughod

• one always knows when one is in the presence of
  Islamic civilization
• Accumulation of physical and non-physical
  characteristics

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Urban Form
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The stereo-Typical Islamic City
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Evolution of the Urban Form

• Garrison town
• Islamization of Existing cities
• Planned Capital Cities

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Garrison towns

• Basra
• A military camp
• Simple beginning

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Basra (30 years later)
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Islamization of Existing Cities

• Damascus
• Oldest continuously inhabited city
• Became a metropolis during the Romans
• Became part of Byzantine empire
• Felt to the Ghassasinid Arab tribes

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After the Arabs

• Impressed by the regular street patterns
• Added a mosque

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Umayyad Damascus

• Change is not major
• Palace is very close to Mosque
• Change reflects a change in lack of municipal
  power or autonomy

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Planned Capital Cities

• Abbasids
• Baghdad
• Idealized city
• Remember the Typical city
• Inward looking

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Baghdad
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Questions

• Is there an Islamic urbanism?
• Can we equate Abu Lughods proposition to
  Rapoports theories of house forms as
  explanations of a distinguishable urban form yet
  made of the same components as other urban
  traditions?