Urbanisation in Islam
• According to Islamic tradition, man is responsible constructing a beautiful world, almost a reflection of Paradise.
• Islam is seen as an urban religion, which favours communal practice on individual worship.
• it is widely accepted that most of Islam's teaching is best practised in an urban setting.
• made particular emphasis on the form and design of the city enabling it a greater functionality and responsiveness to meet the socio-economic and cultural needs of the
community/ummah.
• The city is called in Arabic "madinah" which is derived from the word tamaddun, which denotes civilization.
• In other Muslim languages, abad, kant, şehr and balık refer city as well.
What is Islamic City
• There is no firm consensus on what the term “islamic city” means.
– It can mean a city founded by Muslims during some particular, historical epoch.
– Or a city whose design, construction and expansion took place during epochs dominated by Islamic civilization.
– Or a city that has in it certain, specific features generally identified as ‘Islamic’ (mosques and minarets, for example).
– Or a city, old or new, that happens to be located within the Islamic world.
the term is sometimes used as a theoretical or abstract concept, a kind of ideal city whose architectural styles and relationships are inspired by full adherence to the norms and values of Islam.
• the Islamic city as an entity with distinctive form and characteristics.
• the identifying features and characteristics
• there is a general consensus (among scholars) that the Islamic city has some typical features.
• Some believe that the concept of an Islamic city is the product of the
"Orientalism”. The notion of the Islamic city originates in the west, that it is
"defined in difference" to Western city.
Morphological Components of the Islamic City
• 1. The main Mosque: Al-Jami-al-Kabir/Jamiu’l-Fath/Ulu Jami
• The most important of part is the congregational mosques, built to express and focus the religious commitment of the Muslim community and its solidarity.
• The commercial and administrative activities and associated buildings grew around this central symbol of the Islamic city.
• It occupied the heart of the town and was usually surrounded by the Suq (market) as the case of Zaytouna mosque in Tunis and central mosque in Isfahan. This was where weekly Friday prayers were held and attached to it there was the Madrasa providing religious and scientific teaching.
3. Citadel
• Also known as kal’a, casbah or qasaba, representing the palace of the governor,
• the citadel was surrounded by its own walls and constituted a district on its own with its own mosque, guards, offices, and residence. It was usually located in the high part of the
town near the wall.
4. Residential Quarters/Mahalla
• the division of the cities into quarters where the Arab settlers were first housed.
• in many cases the different quarters are still called by the names of the clans who first inhabited them.
• There were also separate quarters for non-Arab converts to Islam
• quarters also for the non-Muslims,
• the different areas being linked by roads and lanes and joined to the common centre.
• They were described by some sholars as clusters of households of particular quality of life based on closeness (qarâba) which is manifested in personal ties, common interests and shared moral unity.
• Each quarter had its own mosque used only for daily prayers, Quranic school, bakery, shops and other first necessity objects. They even had their own gates which were usually closed at night after last prayers and opened early morning at early prayers time.
5. Street network
• Connecting between these quarters and to the central place was a network of narrow winding streets consisting of public and private and semi-private streets and cul de sacs.
• The elevations on the Islamic city streets are distinguished by their plainness and simplicity.
• In contrast to the simplicity the exterior facades, the interior of the houses was rich in architectural details and
ornamentation, varying according to the tastes and means of the occupants.
• Thus, while simplicity and likeness on the outside confirmed the solidarity and egalitarianism of the community, the
variety and wealth of the interiors allowed for individual freedom.
6. Wall/Sur
