1.1 The oriental City (Kerstin)

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1 1.1 The oriental City (Kerstin) Introduction According to the cultural society, the economy, the environment and the political organization, particular city models developed in the past. The Islamic religion has had a great influence on the development of the oriental city structure. The Islam is not only a Religion, it is a very unique, closed culture and a way of life (WIRTH; 1982). Several rules were distinctive for living, e.g. the ritual bathing, which required special places in town. Therefore cities with the characteristics of the Oriental City Model were spread mainly over the region from the Near East to North Africa (NIEMEIER, 1967). They were also called Islamic Cities (EHLERS, 1993) History of the development of Oriental Cities The area has a long tradition of city culture; the first cities were built more than 5000 years ago (GAEBE, 1992). Advanced civilisations developed near oasis, river deltas and coasts (HERBERS, 2003). During the age of the antiquity Romans and Greek conquered and changed the cities. In the following time cities were altered again, from the chequered pattern to the now existing dead-end-system. (WIRTH; 1982) The colonial times new districts were built in contrast to the old town centre (Medina). Central places and detached, representative houses were predominant. The Industrial Revolution brought industrial areas and working class districts. Since the beginning of the 19 th century western ideas and concepts infiltrated more and more city planning. Modern elements and globalisation lead to changes in the traditional structure of oriental cities (LICHTENBERGER; 1991) Islamic influence on city planning The Islamic Religion has its origin in the norms and values of the urban traders (HERBERS, 2003). Since the occurrence in the 8 th century, it distributed fast over the Orient. Religious rituals were coordinated with living in cities. Basic elements of the Islam were directly connected to city planning; the Friday mosque, dominated the town centre, ablution required wells and bathing houses,

2 coffeehouses as places for recreation and conversation. Oriental Cities missed the influences of European culture, like the renaissance, the philosophical Enlightenment and the separation of religious and political authority (GAEBE, 1992). Religious leaders held positions in administration and justice. Charitable foundations based on the duty in respect of care and supervision. In Islamic tradition, they were more worth it than magnificent buildings (REDMER; 1994). Figure Fehler! Kein Text mit angegebener Formatvorlage im Dokument..1: City plan of the Medina of Aleppo (Dumont Reiseführer Syrien 2001) Elements of the Oriental City The differences between urban development in Europe and the Orient can be subdivided into three principles: The topology of working and living The spatial segregation of the population The relation between public and privacy (LICHTENBERGER; 1991) I. Topology of working and living

3 In European cities the separation of working and living only developed with the Industrial Revolution in the 19 th century, this standard can be found in the early Oriental Cities. It used to be one of the basic principles. II. Segregation of population Islamic Tradition separated religious, ethnic and language groups in districts, which are only connected through gates, partly controlled by soldiers. Every district had its own religious, social and economic establishments. Here different social levels could be found very close to each other. Contrary the suburbs and the surrounding area were dominated by social marks like income for example; especially the New District founded by the Europeans. III. Privacy In Oriental Cities danger not only came from the outside, but also from the inside, because of the diversity of inhabitants. A form of security was the retreating in privacy and the resulting road net (see dead-end-system in the picture below) and closed building form. Figure Fehler! Kein Text mit angegebener Formatvorlage im Dokument..2: The Old Town and New Town from Samarkand (Uzbekistan) (Gaebe, Städtische Räume im Orient) The road net differentiates three characteristics: first to mention was the main road going through the city, connecting the town gates with the centre. The road was built

4 mostly straight and with a wideness between 4 to 8 meters. Together with the Friday mosque and the bazaar, it was public space. From the main road collective streets lead to the districts. They were half private. A wideness between 2 to 4 meters was enough for two loaded donkeys to cross (HERBERS, 2003). The small alleys to the houses were seen as private space and built as dead-endstreets. Foreigners did not walk into them without purpose and permission. The houses itself had simply and cold facades (see picture below). To keep the privacy, even the entrances were not set in opposite to each other (REDMER, 1994). The inside also separated in rooms for visitors, mainly the styled courtyard, and rooms only for family members. Photo Fehler! Kein Text mit angegebener Formatvorlage im Dokument..1: Facade in Aleppo (Foto Michael Astenwald, Die orientalische Stadt zwischen Tradition und Moderne) Structure of the old town centre (Medina) The classical structure of an Oriental City had a city wall with gates for protection purpose; often a palace or a castle was integrated. In the centre, were the Friday mosque, with the highest religious value,, and the bazaar with the most economic importance. It showed the nearness of religion and economy, that is deeply rooted in the society and culture of the Orient.

5 The bazaar, which demonstrated the strict partition between working place and residential area, is the most typical sign of an Oriental City. It included wholesale and retail sale as well as handicraft and banking. Within were wells, baths and coffeehouses for religious and social purposes (HERBERS, 2003). Apart from the main bazaar in the centre, were some smaller ones for daily use in the districts. The New (colonial) districts were socially and economically separated. After they were left by the Europeans, people moved from the overcrowded Medina in the New district or in other new built suburbs. Figure Fehler! Kein Text mit angegebener Formatvorlage im Dokument..3: Oriental City Model (Lichtenberger, Stadtgeographie 1: Begriffe, Konzepte, Modelle, Prozesse, S.70)

6 Figure Fehler! Kein Text mit angegebener Formatvorlage im Dokument..4: Traditional Model of an Oriental City and its modern reality (Seydlitz Geographie II) Figure Fehler! Kein Text mit angegebener Formatvorlage im Dokument..5: Model of a city in the Islamic Orient (Klett-Verlag, nach Ehlers, Die Stadt des islamisches Orient) The Bazaar

7 The bazaar is a unique cultural achievement. It was a worldwide distinctive organization unit of production, retail sale, wholesale and banking. Usually it was covered by a roof, uninhabited and closed nighttimes. The bazaar is functional similar to European main business area, but not structurally. Commodities laid open, without separation and pricing signs. Production and Trade were differentiated by consumer interests and social prestige. Gold and Silver handicraft settled close to the mosque, followed by textiles and spices, at the periphery the smell intensive and louder production (KLETT-PERTHES; 2005).