Urban Development In Historic And Modern Islamic Cities

Wide range of case studies across the Islamic world Provides a new interdisciplinary perspective on the Islamic city Well illustrated with maps and photographs The mix of contributors is good, from well established and highly respected academics to younger, upcoming talents The issue of urbanism in the Islamic world is an enduringly popular area of study and investigation

First Published in 2017. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an Informa company.

This book contains articles on historic cities of the Islamic world, ranging from West Africa to Malaysia, which over the centuries have been centres of culture and learning and of economic and commercial life, and which have contributed much to the consolidation of Islam as a faith and as a social and political institution. The articles have been taken from the second edition of the Encyclopaedia of Islam, completed in 2004, but in many cases expanded and rewritten. All have been updated to include fresh historical information, with note of contemporary social developments and population statistics. The book thus delineates the urban background of Islam has it has evolved up to the present day, highlighting the role of such great cities as Cairo, Istanbul, Baghdad and Delhi in Islamic history, and also brings them together in a rich panorama illustrating one of mankind's greatest achievements, the living organism of the city.

Somaiyeh Falahat investigates the spatial and morphological logic of pre-modern Middle Eastern and North African cities, so-called “Islamic cities”. She bases her argument on the fact that the city and consequently its form and structure, similar to other human products, have deep roots in the thought-structure of the people. Thus, to know such places properly, one has to refer to this life-world and use it as a structure to observe the city. This approach aims at opening new levels of understanding of the city by grasping indigenous concepts and structures; it puts forward claims for the possibility of a new method of analysis. The author studies the historic city of Isfahan as the case study and suggests that an indigenous term, Hezar-Too, can explain the complexity of the city, which has been interpreted as labyrinthine and maze-like accounting for the essence of the city and its form in an appropriate way. Looking at the city from this new point of view can help in observing it in its context and subsequently in discovering its real character.

Since the dawn of the oil era, cities in Saudi Arabia have witnessed rapid growth and profound societal changes. As a response to foreign architectural solutions and the increasing popularity of Western lifestyles, a distinct style of architecture and urban planning has emerged. Characterised by an emphasis on privacy, expressed through high enclosures, gates, blinds, and tinted windows, ‘New Islamic Urbanism’ constitutes for some an important element of piety. For others, it enables alternative ways of life, indulgence in banned social practices, and the formation of both publics and counterpublics. Tracing the emergence of ‘New Islamic Urbanism’, this book sheds light on the changing conceptions of public and private space, in the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, in the Saudi city of Jeddah. It challenges the widespread assumption that the public sphere is exclusively male in Muslim contexts such as Saudi Arabia, where women’s public visibility is limited by the veil and strict rules of gender segregation. Showing that the rigid segregation regime for which the country is known serves to constrain the movements of men and women alike, Stefan Maneval provides a nuanced account of the negotiation of public and private spaces in Saudi Arabia.

The countries of the southern Mediterranean enjoy a rich and diverse cultural heritage. At the heart of this heritage lie the medinas - the historic city centres, often dating back to medieval times. A source of pride and collective belonging, they have nevertheless been subject to neglect and decay under the combined pressures of demographic growth, urbanization and modernization. At present, the historic city centres are in danger of being irreversibly marginalized. Even though the cultural heritage value of these historic city centres is now widely recognized, no coherent restoration policy is being implemented - only a number of historic monuments and prestigious building are being restored or converted into expensive hotels and restaurants. The dilemma between preserving the physical fabric of the medinas and protecting the social context remains unresolved. The Medina brings together a team of experienced professionals, including urban planners, architects, economists, sociologists, financial experts and representatives from international organizations and Mediterranean governments, to address the pressing problem of how to revitalise and restore the medinas in a sustainable way. Arguing for a comprehensive and integrated approach, the authors set out different scenarios for the development of these historic urban centres and strategies for their restoration. The first part of the book provides an introduction to the problems and issues involved in restoration. Importantly it does so against a backdrop of the economic, social and urban development that the countries are predicted to undergo. The second part provides examples of different medinas - including Damascus, Cairo, Meknes, Azzemmour - and presents important material on the financing of such initiatives. It is expected that by 2030 nearly 80 per cent of the inhabitants of the Mediterranean countries will live in towns. This represents an enormous challenge and suggests that the region's social and economic future will largely depend on management of the urban reality. Controlling the development of the heart of the towns and cities, and in particular the medinas, will play a vital role in preserving the cultural and social capital of the Mediterranean countries whilst retaining their considerable potential as attractions. This important and timely book presents a unique and pioneering contribution to realising that aim.