Cultural conflicts in urban patterns : the case of the Muslim city

Abstract

This study attempts to identify the religious norms that governed and continue to govern the development of spatial form in Muslim cities, as a precept to formulating, anew. Islamic urban principles and determining their relevance in a changing society. The objective is to develop conceptually the framework for an urban design language in harmony with time honored religious traditions while utilizing the best of modem technology. A discussion pertaining to the underlying principles of Islamic jurisprudence (usul al-fiqh) and the objectives of Islamic law (maqasid al-Sharia) is followed by an in depth investigation of the basic Islamic value systems. The impact of Islamic values on shaping the built environment of Muslim cities is examined. Moreover, the study analyzes the environmental qualities of the city of Cairo during the Ottoman empire in terms of religious precepts, Abraham Maslow's model of human needs and Kevin Lynch's theory of "a good city form." It concludes with an overview of the city's relative position in terms of this evaluation and critical observations of initiating new approaches to contemporary and future architecture and urban planning.