Arabic Islamic Cities Building And Planning Principles

First Published in 1989. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

First published in 1989. An essential reference for researchers, scholars and urban planners this is a reference for all those interested in both the history and future developments of urban design for Arab Islamic cities.

IBSS is the essential tool for librarians, university departments, research institutions and any public or private institution whose work requires access to up-to-date and comprehensive knowledge of the social sciences.

This is a translation from the original Arabic of a treatise that dates back to the early fourteenth century, written by a builder and master-mason. It is the most comprehensive treatise on building rules within the Mediterranean region. What makes Ibn al-Rami's treatise significant is that: a) it was written by a master-mason, b) it draws upon texts that were available to him that date back to the eighth century C.E. from various regions of the Islamic world, specifically from the Arabian peninsula, Iraq, Egypt, Andalus (Islamic Spain), and Tunisia. It presents rules for building and address change and growth within built environments that were compact and typical of the majority of towns and cities located in regions surrounding the Mediterranean basin. Walls between proximate neighbours posed a challenge that was resolved by intricate rules, which were designed to ensure that the rights of all parties involved would be respected and protected. An underlying principle that was always observed was to ensure no harm or damage occurs to owners of properties during the on-going processes of change and growth. The rules also assumed and were designed to protect the freedom of property owners to exercise their full rights within their property. They were compatible with the nature of a dynamic process that relied on the timeline and sequence of built facts that had to be respected and which ensured subsequent decisions would be compatible. Feedback between proximate neighbours was a part of the system that promoted balance and equity. Our contemporary low density built environments that are manifested in the suburban landscape were questioned and criticized since a number of decades ago. Recent efforts to create compact neighbourhoods friendly to pedestrians can be inspired by the rules and solutions of historic compact towns and cities which are discussed and presented in this treatise.

This book brings together historic urban / building rules and codes for the geographic areas including Greece, Italy and Spain. The author achieved his ambitious goal of finding pertinent rules and codes that were followed in previous societies for the processes that formed the built environment of their towns and cities, including building activities at the neighborhood level and the decision-making process that took place between proximate neighbors. The original languages of the texts that were translated into English are Greek, Latin, Italian, Arabic and Spanish. The sources for the chapter on Greece date from the 2nd century B.C.E. to the 19th century C.E. Those for the chapter on Italy date from the 10th to the 14th centuries C.E. and for the chapter on Spain from the 5th to the 18th centuries C.E. Numerous appendices are included to enhance and elaborate on the material that make up the chapters. This book provides lessons and insights into how compact and sustainable towns and cities that are greatly admired today were achieved in the past and how we and future generations can learn from this rich heritage, including the valuable insight provided by the nature of the rules and codes and their application through centuries of continuous use.