ATENEO DE DAVAO UNIVERSITY

Department of Architecture

Islamic and Medieval Civilizations

History of Urban Design

Part 2: ISLAMIC and MEDIEVAL CIVILIZATIONS

I. ISLAMIC CIVILIZATION

A. History
The early Muslim towns were erected to preach Islam playing the role of “Citadel of faith” (Saoud, 2002). However,
during the 9th century AD, this religious role was replaced by political motives. Various parts of the Muslim World
broke their traditional link with the main Caliphate in the East. Most Muslim towns suffered urban decline due to
the local divisions, conflicts and continuous raids of the nomads. The towns being used as battle ground of these
divisions even contributed to the decline.

During the 16th century, stability was regained as the Ottomans were able to control most of the Muslim World.
They brought peace, security and prosperity, the main ingredients for urban recovery and growth (Saoud, 2002).
New towns emerged flourishing mainly on Ottoman trade. In 17th century, the main role of these towns was to
provide military enforcement for Ottoman resistance against European domination of the Mediterranean Sea.
This, again, has exhausted the towns’ local resources causing another urban decline. By the 18th and early 19th
century, Muslim cities experienced wide spread disease and famine, and eventually falling in the hands of colonial
powers. The traditional Muslim cities then were replaced by the concept of European town. After independence,
Muslim countries adopted a policy of modernization that further lead to alienation of the Muslim city.

B. Design Principles
A number of factors influenced the creation of Muslim cities. In addition to topography and morphological features
of pre-existing towns, the Muslim city reflected the general socio-cultural, political, and economic structures of the
newly created society (Saoud, 2002). These involved the following:

Natural Laws.
Muslim city adapted the built form and planned according to natural circumstances (i.e. weather, topography).
These were expressed through the concepts of courtyard, terrace, narrow covered streets and gardens to cope
with hot weather conditions dominating the Muslim environment.

Religious and cultural beliefs.

Religious beliefs and practices formed the central life of Muslims, giving the mosque the central position in spatial
and institutional hierarchies. The spatial order between uses and areas were regulated by their cultural belief on
separation of public and private lives as well as the separation of male and female users.

These were expressed in the adoption of narrow streets and cul-de-sacs separating private & public domains, while
the land use emphasized the separation of male & female users.

Design principles stemmed from Sharia Law. Sharia Law greatly influence the Muslim city in terms of physical and
social relations between public and private community, and between neighbors and social groups. Given the
nature of the Muslim family and the way in which the women had to be protected from the eyes of the strangers,

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there were strict rules against overlooking of any kind. This is evident by the height of the wall being above the
height of the camel rider. It also affected the position of windows including their height above the streets so that
people could not see in.
Part of the law also states their right to build higher contained within one’s own air space even if it will deprive
one’s neighbors air and sun. However, it will be refused once there was evidence of intent to harm its neighbor.

Social principles.
The social organization of the city was based on social groupings sharing the same blood, ethnic origin and cultural
perspectives (Saoud, 2002).

C. Morphological Components of the Muslim City

Islamic city planning varies from one another; however, there is a general consensus that the city has the following
typical features:

The main Mosque.

The Mosque occupied the heart of the town and usually surrounded by the Suq (market). Attached to it was the
Madrassa (school) providing religious and scientific teaching.

Suqs.
It is commonly located outside the main mosque providing the economic activity of the town. The goods sold were
usually spatially distributed corresponding to their nature. Sacred items such as candles, incenses and perfumes as
well as the ones sold by booksellers and binders were sold close to the mosque. While the rest of the goods less
related to the mosque were found at a further distance.

Citadel.
Also known as Casbah, the Citadel which is located in the high part of the town near the wall represents the palace
of the governor. It constitutes a district on its own having its own mosque, guards, offices and residence.

Street network.
The street connects the city’s quarters to the central place. The narrow winding streets consist of public, private
and semi-private streets and cul de sacs. The minimum width of thoroughfares and alleys are seven cubits to allow
two fully laden camels to pass without colliding.

Wall.
As a protection against invaders, the town is surrounded by well-defended wall with a number of gates.

Residential Quarters.
Described as clusters of households of particular quality of life based on closeness manifested in personal ties,
common interests and shared moral unity (Eikelman, 1981). They were usually dense with its own gate, mosque
used only for daily prayers, Quranic school, bakery, shops and other first necessity objects. They were also
ethnically organized so that each group could practice and celebrate its own cultural beliefs.

Exterior.
Musilim and Jews cemeteries, weekly market where most animal suqs were held, private gardens and fields are
often times seen outside the main gate

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II. MEDIEVAL CIVILIZATION

A. History
The middle ages, roughly lasted from 5th to 15th century, covers the entire period between the fall of Rome and
the beginning of Renaissance. Protestants describe the Middle Ages as a period of Catholic Corruption. The
Catholic Church became the most powerful institution of the medieval period. Kings, queens and other leaders
derived much of their power from their alliances with and protection of the Church.

The Medieval period is sub-divided into the Early, the High and the Late Middle ages:

Early Middle Ages.

Historians would also account this period as the, “Dark Ages”. The depopulation, de-urbanization, invasion and
movement of peoples which began in Late Antiquity continued in the Early Middle Ages. Barbarian invaders
formed new kingdoms in what remained of the Western Roman Empire. It is also characterized by cultural and
economic deterioration.

It was really the Christian Church that kept civilized values alive in Europe during the Dark Ages. The Augustine and
the other bishops brought with them the ancient Roman concepts of law and property. The whole of England was
then divided into sees, each with its own cathedral and bishopric. The sees were further divided into parishes, each
clustering around its own church.

Once a cathedral had been established, a sizeable community would grow up around it. Monasteries would be
built in and around such cities together with the Ecclesiastical schools, servitors and artisans and weekly markets.

High Middle Ages.

As Europe recovered from her Dark Ages, some of the new urban forms came from the invaders. Moslems founded
cities in Spain while the Norsemen founded cities in Britain and Netherlands. Thus, the trade routes between
Northern and the Mediterranean were cut by these invasions. Many cities were deserted or at least fell into
decline.

Some old Roman cities survived because they are walled. However, the method of attacks from invaders (Vikings)
became more sophisticated thus the Castle was built for defense. People huddled around the castle for protection.
Castellan encourage this type of development because once a burgus had been established, he could exercise the
kind of financial and legal authority.

Once the invasions stopped, Europe recovered quickly. Villagers began to clear the forests around their villages
and bring the land into agricultural use. Population grew as more food became available. With the growth in
population, abbots and bishops began to plan new towns outside the gates of their monasteries and cathedrals.
Manufacturing and trading began to be developed which, naturally, had its effects on the form of the medieval
city. The sites most desirable for the entrepreneurs within the town were those immediately surrounding the
market place. Plots adjoining the market place have higher rents. Second best to frontages on the market places
were those on the street; anything else was third-best and suitable only for housing.

Late Middle Ages.

This period was marked by difficulties and calamities including famine, plague, and war which diminished much of
the Western Europe’s population.

B. Urban Plan: Streets and Structures

Medieval towns each conformed to one of two distinct plans; one was the planned town, the other the unplanned.
However, the best planned town still came from the Classical period and during the medieval ages, unplanned
town is more evident.

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Unplanned Town.
No town was ever wholly unplanned (Pounds, 2005). Every town had a basis that defined its purpose. This might
have been a natural feature, a physical obstacle, a castle or a necessity. Streets and roads might have originated in
the paths by which people approach this nuclear feature or by which people walked or drove their animals.

Walled Town.
Middle ages were a lawless time and security was a major factor in the creation and growth of most towns. Walls
were created as a form of defense from invaders. However, population grew during the Middle ages, filling out the
space within their walls and even spreading beyond. The result was intolerable congestion, lack of hygiene, and
disease.

Multi-focal Town.
In many cities of continental Europe, “new” town was built alongside the “old”, which had its origin under different
social and economic conditions.

An example of this is Karakow in Poland. The nucleus was the Slave fortress or grod known as the Wawel. It crowns
a bluff above the river Vistula and was eminently defensible. Below it to the north developed an unplanned urban
settlement characterized by its narrow, twisting streets. Farther to the north, the planned town was laid out
consisting of regular blocks, four of them omitted to give space for market.

River and Bridge Towns.

Most towns in western and central Europe grew up on the banks of a river. As few towns grown up on one bank of
a river failed to spread to the opposite bank, thus, bridge became a necessity. The land on the far side of the river
became part of the urban hinterland or became the service area of the town. There were instances where the
bridge itself was the focal point around which the town grew.

C. Building Materials
Growing congestion of the city necessitated a change in the materials used. People began to build upward as the
urban population and housing became dense. In many urban houses, the lower stages were not strong enough to
bear the added weight resulting to the collapse of the building.

Medieval town made the greatest use of wood on stone foundations. Because of the material, towns were
frequently rebuilt, following their collapse, destruction by fire, or simple desire of the occupants for a more
ambitious home. Timber construction was quick, easy, convenient, and cheap that made it the preferred building
material during the middle ages.

During the 12th century, London enacted the law that buildings should be of masonry. The legislation addresses
the problem of housing, however, it failed completely to institute any mechanism of inspection and control. More
so, medieval builders lacked the mathematical skills to calculate the stresses generated.

D. The Citizen’s Home

Streets generally came before housing and the first houses were aligned along them (Pounds, 2005). Houses were
made similar as possible to the aristocrat manor house of the countryside – single storied and consisting of two
basing elements: living and sleeping space. The hall is where the inhabitants lived and cooked, while the bower
serves as the sleeping place. The work-room and storage were on the first floor or basement.

“House of Convenience”.
As contrast with the Classical ages having the technology of waste management, medieval ages made no attempt
to construct a masonry sewer for the discharge of human waste. Many used only a basket-like container, woven of
withies which permitted its contents to drain into the ground.

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E. Public Structures
The early medieval town was dominated by the church or monastery and the castle of the lord – ecclesiastical,
secular and administrative structures. The walls, gates and mural towers were built to protect the citizenry, give a
sense of security and also to impress the visitor from other parts.

Streets.
Medieval cities usually had irregular street patterns and heavy walls. The city adapts the nature of the sites which
they were built (i.e. defensive purposes) and to practical needs. The influences from invaders also contribute to
their city planning.

Streets may not be a structure, but were an essential feature of the urban scene. Streets of former Roman towns
were paved with stone sets, slabs and cobbles. However, streets of medieval towns sadly fell short of the
standards set by the Romans. There were no sidewalk and not always paved. Household waste was disposed into
the street where it was collected at irregular intervals. The waste was then disposed into the river.

Guilds.
Merchants and craftsmen formed guilds to strengthen their social and economic position. The building somehow
served as a clubhouse and or storage for these merchants. The guild took the form of large town houses, with hall
and kitchen and a number of smaller rooms.

Markets.
The market was an open space where stalls for the display of goods were erected on market day. A market cross
stood as a monument with religious connotations.

Market Hall.
The market hall is where the officials met and tolls were collected and debts settled (Pounds, 2005). This
sometimes served as a shelter to those who did business.

III. CONCLUSION
Islamic and Medieval civilization is characterized by a period of urban decline; political, religious and social turmoil;
and disintegration from the progress made during the Classical age. There were innumerable hardships suffered
and endured by the people. However, these periods paved the way for people’s desire to bring back the
philosophy, scientific thought, arts, architecture, culture and social well-being of the Classical period. The
Renaissance period considered as the bridge between the Middle Ages and Modern history.