nature of urban development, we propose that a city’s resilience may be related to its
location and history.
The key methodology employed here is the morphological analysis. It has been
extensively used for the study of Islamic cities (Haneda 1991). Thus we will first
describe the literature and then point out its limitations, in order to develop our own
typology.
The historic areas of many cities in the Middle East and North Africa have strong
similarities in terms of their urban morphologies, which have been shaped by their
organic development. Typical examples are the winding, narrow, and often dead-end
streets that continue to courtyard houses, which are clearly evident in the historic
areas of Fes, Tunis, Cairo, Damascus, Baghdad, Isfahan, Bukhara, and ShahJahanabad (aka Old Delhi), all of which were built prior to the twentieth century.
Historically, each of these cities had densely populated habitats, with people living
within the city walls that enclosed them. Although each experienced its own
evolving urban development, they shared similar features. They had flourished
under Islamic rulers, and even before they integrated aspects of modern European
culture, these cities had enjoyed ongoing stability.
These Islamic cities (Hakim 1979) clearly shared five common features.
1. Enclosing walls with gates: Each city had a thick surrounding wall, which was
usually an irregular shape. The walls had gates that closed the city off from the
outer world. Under the Muslim sovereigns, the local ruler had some degree of
control over who and what moved in and out through the city gates. The original
purpose of these walls was to protect the city from the harsh arid climate and from
external enemies, such as nomads.
2. A city center and major streets: Each city had a central core, which included a
main mosque and a large market. The city center was distinctly a business district,
with few residential structures except for madrasa (higher education institutions,
with dormitories) or khan (commercial facilities with lodgings). The main streets
connected the city gates to the city center. These streets were not particularly
straight or wide but were curved and of varying widths.
3. Residential districts and public facilities: Secondary streets extended from the
main streets, forming net-like branches, and the residential districts were clustered around these secondary streets. These neighborhoods had their own gates to
prevent people from entering at night or during emergencies. The neighborhoods
provided some general public facilities for residents, with a moderately sized
mosque, shops selling consumable goods, and a public bath forming the core of
each neighborhood unit.
4. Homogeneous habitats and dead-end streets: Third-tier streets extended into the
residential areas, sometimes leading to dead ends. People typically lived in
houses with enclosed courtyards. These courtyard houses shared walls with
neighbors and were clustered around dead-end streets, creating semi-private
spaces. Residences were very densely clustered to make effective use of water
in the arid climate, to provide protection against invaders or sandstorms, and to
protect family privacy.
68
N. Fukami
location and history.
The key methodology employed here is the morphological analysis. It has been
extensively used for the study of Islamic cities (Haneda 1991). Thus we will first
describe the literature and then point out its limitations, in order to develop our own
typology.
The historic areas of many cities in the Middle East and North Africa have strong
similarities in terms of their urban morphologies, which have been shaped by their
organic development. Typical examples are the winding, narrow, and often dead-end
streets that continue to courtyard houses, which are clearly evident in the historic
areas of Fes, Tunis, Cairo, Damascus, Baghdad, Isfahan, Bukhara, and ShahJahanabad (aka Old Delhi), all of which were built prior to the twentieth century.
Historically, each of these cities had densely populated habitats, with people living
within the city walls that enclosed them. Although each experienced its own
evolving urban development, they shared similar features. They had flourished
under Islamic rulers, and even before they integrated aspects of modern European
culture, these cities had enjoyed ongoing stability.
These Islamic cities (Hakim 1979) clearly shared five common features.
1. Enclosing walls with gates: Each city had a thick surrounding wall, which was
usually an irregular shape. The walls had gates that closed the city off from the
outer world. Under the Muslim sovereigns, the local ruler had some degree of
control over who and what moved in and out through the city gates. The original
purpose of these walls was to protect the city from the harsh arid climate and from
external enemies, such as nomads.
2. A city center and major streets: Each city had a central core, which included a
main mosque and a large market. The city center was distinctly a business district,
with few residential structures except for madrasa (higher education institutions,
with dormitories) or khan (commercial facilities with lodgings). The main streets
connected the city gates to the city center. These streets were not particularly
straight or wide but were curved and of varying widths.
3. Residential districts and public facilities: Secondary streets extended from the
main streets, forming net-like branches, and the residential districts were clustered around these secondary streets. These neighborhoods had their own gates to
prevent people from entering at night or during emergencies. The neighborhoods
provided some general public facilities for residents, with a moderately sized
mosque, shops selling consumable goods, and a public bath forming the core of
each neighborhood unit.
4. Homogeneous habitats and dead-end streets: Third-tier streets extended into the
residential areas, sometimes leading to dead ends. People typically lived in
houses with enclosed courtyards. These courtyard houses shared walls with
neighbors and were clustered around dead-end streets, creating semi-private
spaces. Residences were very densely clustered to make effective use of water
in the arid climate, to provide protection against invaders or sandstorms, and to
protect family privacy.
68
N. Fukami