Contemporary Islamic Architecture in the Arab World

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CONTEMPORARY ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE
IN THE ARAB WORLD
“RESEARCH PAPER”
SUBMITTED TO
18TH MIDDLE EAST HISTORY AND THEORY
CONFERENCE
UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO, CHICAGO, USA
May, 9 ~10 , 2003
PRESENTED BY
MOHAMED GAMAL ABDELMONEM GEHAN SELIM
LECTURER LECTURER
DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE
AUST UNIVERSITY, UAE UAE UNIVERITY, UAE
APRIL, 15TH, 2003

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Contemporary Islamic Architecture In The Arab World
Mohamed Gamal Abdelmonem, AUST University
Gehan Selim, UAE University
Introduction: Problem of Identity and the Role of Architecture
Architecture is one of the most significant components of a community’s culture, in
many respects, (i) architecture reflects the dominant civilizational paradigm in a society
including its culture, religious beliefs, and life styles, (ii) As the civilizational paradigm
changes the social architectural style also changes, almost in the same direction, (iii) History
of civilizations is recorded through then architectural heritage. Ibn Khaldon, a famous Arab
Muslim sociologist has indicated, “ reading the architectural human behavior is best means to
understand people’s history” (Kura’yem, 1987). In fact, it has been widely recognized that by
analyzing the architectural products of a certain civilization, one can comprehend the main
cultural paradigms of such civilization. These architectural products are physical witness to
quality of such civilization, and more importantly the foreign influences on its societies,
which experience strong foreign intrusions, tend to reflect them in their architectural products.
The Arabs were no exception to these generalizations. The European imperial
onslaught on the Arab world in the nineteenth century had far reaching ramifications for
Arab identity and culture. The Arab-European contacts occurred under conditions of
European military control of Arab counties. In same cases, as was the care of North Africa,
especially Algeria, the European settled and built communities which were in essence mirror-
images of them in their homeland. Further, Arab architects became highly influenced by the
architectural thought in Europe. They began to shift away from the traditional Arab Islamic
architectural designs, which were made to fit the local environment, towards borrowing
heavily from an alien environment. Increasingly, Arab cities lost their traditional identity.
Today, one can no longer find an Arab city with a specific architectural local identity.
However, one can detect a recent movement in the Arab world to return to the architectural
Islamic roots. This was eventually in response to the crisis generated by the inability of the
Euro-style building to cope effectively with the local environment.

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The objective of this paper is to:
(i) review the concept of Islamic architecture
and its applications in different places and
times. (ii) Outline the main encroachments on
the concept of Islamic Architecture as a result of
the European imperial onslaught, and; (iii) to
introduce the concept and movement of Islamic
architectural revivalism.
I
The Origins of the Problem
When Islam emerged in the seventh century, it didn’t bring a specific architectural
theory. It introduced a set of values, which tended to orient architects of Muslim countries
towards certain architectural design. Being a global religion, Islam could not present a
specific architectural concept, as different environments call for different architectural
thinking. In fact, Islam spread over a vast area extending from China to Spain. In this area,
different environments existed was inconceivable to mandate a specific architectural design is
this vast area. What Islam brought was a set of values and themes, which could be applied
differently depending on the environment in which the values are applied. This explains the
wide variety of styles that had come out under the umbrella of Islamic Architecture.
Beach Façade in Dubai, buildings belongs to modern
architecture with no reference to its Arabic or Islamic Identity.
Source: Now & Then the Emirates.
Nile Façade for multi-story houses in Cairo, 18th and 19th
Centuries,shows a clear character that represent Islamic Identity.
Source: Architecture of the Islamic World.
Current residential zone in Cairo shows no character of the
city urbanism
Source: Aga-Khan Visual Archives.

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This feature continued to characterize Islamic architecture until the advent of the
Ottomans to the Arab world in the early sixteenth century. The Ottomans built a highly
centralized system of government, which was uniformly applied across most of the areas they
controlled. This almost applied to their architectural designs. They attempted to impose a
single architectural model created in Istanbul by Ottoman chief architect Sinan Agha. Sinan
Agha developed an architectural deign in Istanbul and copied it in other Arab cities (Bates,
1985).
As the Ottomans began to decline, Europe intruded into virtually all the Arab
possessions of the Ottoman Empire. The Europeans built in their Arab colonies buildings
modeled along the architectural designs in their homeland. In fact, one can easily detect that
in virtually all-Arab metropolitan areas, where one finds buildings built by European
architects along the European designs. . Further, Arab students were sent to European
universities to learn modern architecture. These students were heavily influenced by European
architectural designs. When they retuned home, they almost echoed the theories they were
taught in their societies without necessarily modifying them to suit the local environment. The
emphasis was on modernity and advancement rather than on suitability. Meanwhile, these
students became the educators of a new generation of Arab students in local Arab universities.
They focused on teaching Western architectural theories and models. There were few attempts
to theorize about Islamic architecture, or to create a local identity for the Arab city. This in
turn, reinforced the trend, which began under the Ottomans of the Arab city losing its
architectural identity. A leading Arab architectural critic commented…
”Considering this strong bound; it is easy to perceive how deep has Arab cities reach
in loss of identity. These cities have adopted foreign style of buildings that are entirely
different, if not opposite, to their traditions and culture. So, through its trials to get involved
with modernity, the Arab city has lost its values and identity from having buildings not
produced by their community or workmanship but made by thinkers who had got their
academic degrees from the west trying to apply theories they have learned without reference
to the usage, which is one of the properties of the twentieth century’s architecture, specially
the second half”. (Khattab, O., 2001)
Having outlined the historical origins of the present Arab architectural dilemma, we
will turn to establish the main elements of the concept of Islamic architecture with an
emphasis on its philosophy and its impact on Arab cities.
II

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The Philosophy of Islamic Architecture
The philosophy of Islamic architecture is derived from the general philosophy of Islam and is
a reflection of that philosophy at the same time. Islamic philosophy focuses on the internal
dynamics of the human entity in relationship with its external manifestations, integration
between that entity and the Creator, and that the basic values of life are those related to the
submission to the Creator, and equality among human beings.
Such philosophy was reflected in the field of architecture in the emphasis on
simplicity f the buildings and their integration with the environment. Further, there is an
emphasis on the absence of external vernacular designs, and complex details, and that the
buildings should enable the Muslim to achieve its ritual and spiritual obligations to the
Creator, and its social commitments without impinging on the privacy of his life. The building
itself is not the target. The real target is the fulfillment of the Muslim’s spiritual and social
obligation. The buildings should enable the Muslim to achieve these objectives rather than to
show richness and grandeur.
Islamic architecture is best articulated in its focus on the interior of the building, and
the central arrangement of spaces around the internal open courtyard, with solid external wall
containing a door. Such wall rarely contained small size openings, or showed any structures,
as the emphasis was on separating guest movements from the family’s private zone. The
major objective of this design was to secure family privacy. Further, Islamic architecture
discouraged the use of congregational forms in the design of buildings. It always emphasized
on the simplicity of the composition of the building. If all people are equal before their
Creator, then it logically follows that there should not major differences in their life styles and
the styles of their buildings. This explains the compatibility between the features of the
external facades commonly produced by Islamic architects.
If a building fulfilled these major elements, it could be described as a manifestation of
Islamic architecture, regardless of the environment in which it was built. That is why; Islamic
architecture took different forms depending on the environment in which it was applied.
Islamic architecture in the desert was mainly different from its counterpart in tropical and
polar areas. However, these forms share the major elements just outlined. One may also add

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that when the Muslims developed these concepts in different area, they were influenced by
local architectural pre-requisites, tastes, and technical knowledge and expertise.
III
Development of Islamic Architecture
As Islam spread in different areas, and as the needs of the new Muslim communities
became more complex, new types of buildings appeared, such as the religious schools
(Madrasas), and citadels. New elements were added to the building of the mosque, such as
the minarets, and water fountains for ablution. In fact, the mosque began to assume a social
role, in addition to its ritual one, which required an expansion of its size, and composition.
An examination of the mosque and Madrasa of Sultan Hassan, and the mosque and university
of Al-Azhar, both in Cairo, and King Faisal Complex in Sharjah exemplifies the major
development in the institution of the mosque over the years. Muslim rulers built government
houses (Dar Al-Hukm). These houses partially reflected Islamic architecture. They were
Courtyard House in Qustul, Nobia, similar
house planning to those in Islam beginnings.
Source: Architecture of the Islamic World.
External Façade and internal courtyards, shows
internal orientation of Bait Balit, Aleppo, Syria,
16th Century.
Source: Aga Khan Visual Archives.
Left: Contemporary Islamic
House, Egypt.
Source: AgaKhan Visual
Archives.
Right: Zar’ouni House,Sharjah,
UAE, 19th Century
Source: Graham Anderson

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characterized by a high level of rich decorations in order to show the strength and power of
the state.
Other types of buildings witnessed similar
developments reflecting the nature of the community
and the available technology. The overall trend was the
shift from simplicity and the use of limited technology
to the establishment of huge structures and multi-story
houses using advance technologies developed by local
Muslims.
The Muslim world, especially in the early ages
of Islam, was characterized by the freedom of
movement of Muslims. There were no borders within
Dar Al-Islam restricting the free movement of citizens.
Further, Muslims are obliged to perform Hajj at least
once in a lifetime if it was possible. As new centers of
Islamic teaching and knowledge wee established in
different areas of the Muslim world, Muslims began to
travel more frequently, either to trade, to enroll in
Madrasas, or simply to perform Hajj. Consequently,
new forms of buildings were established, such as the
Khans, These were residential and commercial
complexes built either inside or outside the city to host
Muslim travelers. Police stations and watchtowers were
also built in order to secure the movement of Muslims
across the Muslim world.
The main conclusion to be drawn from this
review is that Islamic architecture has been able to
adapt to different environments, needs, and times. In
this sense, Islamic architecture can be diagnosed a
modern given its ability to adapt to modern needs.
Islamic architecture is not a medieval invention that has
lost its relevance to modern life.
Mosque of the Prophet, 622AD, original plan with
extensions.
Source: Islamic Architecture, Abdel-Gawwad,T.
Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, 709 AD. Shows
the complexity of the mosque components and
design after only less than one century of the
beginning of Islam.
Source: Aga Khan Visual Archives.
Al-Azhar university and Mosque, medieval ages of
Islam, shows the different activities of the mosque
components.
Source: Aga Khan Visual Archives.
King Faisal Mosque Complex, 20th Century. Shows
the complexity of the mosque components: Faisal
Foundation, Islamic affairs organization and the
Mosque, Source: Graham Anderson.

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One finds viable applications of Islamic architecture to modern societies across the Muslim
world. Once may refer to the case of the Sharjah Islamic Center as a manifestation of our
argument. Whereas the Center is based on the application of the main concepts of Islamic
architecture, it achieves the needs of a modern community to engage in different types of
trade transactions.
Today, the main dilemma of Islamic architecture is not inherent in its inability to adapt
to modernity. Such dilemma is mainly located in the influences of Western architectural
theories and models over Muslim architects. These influences are a by-product of the
dominance of the Western cultural paradigm and a result of the decay of the Muslim world
during the era of imperialism. Many would-be-architects from the Muslim world were
educated in the West, were only taught the Western architectural theories as the only ones
capable of adapting to modern societies. This has resulted in a trend to transplant Western,
architectural styles in modern Arab cities, regardless of their suitability to local needs and
environments. This trend was reinforced as a result of the flow of oil in the Arab Gulf states
and the influx of huge numbers of experts to engage in the business of oil extraction, which,
in turn, reinforced the trend to borrow the Western architectural models. Al-Faqih has
succinctly summarized these trends as follows:
”In the Arab world during the early days of oil based prosperity, the importation of
western architecturally stylized buildings was looked at as illustrating richness and ability to
spend money. This was later even adopted by the local architects, to show that they were just
as able as western architects, and the client in turn was made to believe that this represented
a desirable modernity”. (Al-Faqih, S., 1999)
The Arab city today is heterogeneous conglomeration of buildings, which does not
reflect a specific identity or a philosophy.
Citadel of Cairo “ Slah El-Din Citadel”, Islamic
Fortification.
Source: AgaKhan Visual archives.
Top: Weavers’ Huts, southern Tunisia.
Example of Industrial Buildings.
Source: Architecture of the Islamic
World
Right: Khan of Damascus, 16th Century.
Source: Architecture of the Islamic World
Examples of the variety of Islamic Architecture improvement to reply all progressed needs of the Community

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V
The Changing Character of Arab Cities and the Contributions of Islamic
Architecture
The injection of Western architecture in Arab cities was quite problematic. Western
architecture was designed to suit the needs of an environment characterized by a climate,
which totally differs from the desert environment prevalent in most of the Arab world. Almost
91% of the Arab land mass is desert. The introduction of Western architecture into Arab cities
proved to be quite costly and unable to benefit from the resources available in the local
environment. Western architecture was also developed to reflect a certain system of values,
which is quite different from the system of Muslim values.
As the Muslim world began to witness a process of religious revivalism in the 1970,
the wisdom of borrowing the Western models was questioned and local architects began to
fall back to the concept of Islamic architecture, not only to restore the identity of the Arab
city, and its congruence with Muslim values, but also to remedy the existential problems
resulting from the adoption of Western architectural models. Increasingly, this trend gained
momentum and by the late 1980s represented a full-fledged movement of Islamic
architectural revivalism.
The movement of Islamic architectural revivalism was based on three major pillars.
The first was the system of Muslim values and the philosophy of Islamic architecture as
outlined earlier. The second was the quest to deal with the problems resulting from the
transplantation of Western models in the Arab world, especially as far their suitability to the
local environment is concerned. Most importantly, the movement began from an empirical
analysis of the shifting character of the Arab societies resulting from the modern
technological revolution, and the accumulation of wealth in Arab oil-exporting countries. It
recognizes that the contemporary Arab society is quite different from the medieval one. The
modern Arab society is more complex and multifaceted. It has multiple and an ever-
increasing social needs. It is also characterized by acute social bifurcation. The society is
divided into a small elite of owners and financiers and a large mass of limited income
workers, peasants, and employees. The middle class in Arab societies is increasingly
shrinking as a result of the failed development strategies, which resulted in the decay of the
income of the middle class thereby increasingly joining the lower class. Further, physical and

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cultural interaction between these two segments of the society is limited as each segment lives
in different districts. Each segment also has a different life style and needs including different
hosing needs. At the private level, the high class focuses on building villas, palaces,
prestigious houses in restricted districts, and resorts and recreational facilities for
entertainment in addition to private social and sports clubs. At the public level, the high class
developed high tower office buildings, commercial centers, big markets, and hotels.
Conversely, the lower segment focuses mainly on the problem of housing. As a result of the
social bifurcation, and the economic deterioration of this social segment, they are increasingly
confronted with the problem of the lack of reasonable and affordable housing. Governments
and private sectors develop buildings, which are only affordable to the high segments of the
society.
The movement of Islamic architectural resurgence aspires to deal with these issues through
three main modalities, namely:
(1) Developing New Architectural Concepts:
Classical Islamic architecture dealt many with specific common public buildings, such as
mosques, khans, and markets (souques). But new types of buildings are emerging, such as
office buildings, banks, and large-scale hotels. These types of buildings require new concepts
and approaches, which are deeply embedded in the philosophy of Islamic architecture, but
developed enough to cater for the new types of needed buildings. Some of the most important
instances of public buildings based on the new concepts developed by Muslim architects the
Islamic Souqe of sharjah, Mejarra souqe in Sharjah, and Al-Basrah Sheraton in Iraq.
Architects’ trials to produce new forms and
concepts with respect to values and ideals of
Islamic Architecture.
Top-Left: Islamic Souqe in Sharjah, UAE
lower-Left: Islamic Bank of Dubai, Sharjah.
Middle: Al-Basra Sheraton, Al-Basra, Iraq.
Right: Al-Azhar Administration office
building, Cairo.

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One may also refer to buildings, which respect local value and local tradition of the partial
separation between the female and male zones in public buildings and the separation into two
buildings, such as most of governmental service buildings and universities in Gulf area.
(2) Adapting to New Trends:
The resurgence of Islamic architecture movement adopts an interactional approach towards
modern construction technology, but uses that technology to achieve Islamic architectural
values. For example, it uses the technology of glazing within the framework of maintaining
harmony with the local desert environment. As a result, percentage of solid to void in the new
products is more or less isomorphic with those in traditional designs. Also, stones were used
as tiles or powder as internal finishing materials. This is in addition to use of the most updated
technologies like expansion joints, insulation materials.
In general, architecture detailing is reduced due to current economics of architectural practice.
But special attention is being made to those details that are important to deal with the desert
climate, such as mashrabia (wooden screen to reduce undesirable solar energy gain and to
increase ventilation effect), through using technology to develop its forms materials, which
results in some new shapes made of metals.
Technology are used to reproduce
specific details in industrial
manners as per traditional wooden
screens (left) to have them in new
materials:
1. prefabricated lime boards
(lower-left)
2. formed steel (lower)
Traditional skylights (upper left
& lower left) are produced
currently by forming reinforced
concrete to have similar
elements (top).
Lower: School of Music
Damascus, Syria: New form
depends on available technology

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Further, services system, which are essential to contemporary buildings, could not be ignored
in contemporary Islamic architecture, but the effects of unhealthy systems, e.g. air condition,
is reduced as much as possible by using special treatments to reduce the desert climate effect
on thermal comfort inside these buildings.
(3) Monitoring Spiritual Needs of the People:
Being an architecture that belongs to a certain set of values, the movement of Islamic
architecture revivalism emphasizes upon the spiritual and value-oriented components of
architecture. Advocates of the movement attempt to reflect Islamic values in their designs
through the use of traditional shapes and Islamic vernaculars like arches, mashrabia, domes,
and the usage of Ablaq (horizontal patterns in elevations). It is argued that these applications
do not only remind the users of the distinctive nature of their architecture, but will also serve
their needs in making the best out of their environment.
One of the major contributors to this movement was the Egyptian architect Hassan Fathi,
who is famous for developing his own views on the contemporary applications of Islamic
architecture, and applying them for mass use at the same time. Fathi advocated an
architectural philosophy, which caters to the local environment, in terms of the climate and
the available construction resources, and is being applied by the local population, not for
them. In response to his perception of the social bifurcation of the present Arab society and
Emotional abstraction of Islamic Architectural features in buildings of 1990th in the Arab World, to satisfy spiritual and emotional needs of
people who look for their traditions and culture. Independent trials to have a contemporary Islamic Architecture.
Above: Side entrance of Al-Azhar admin. Building, Cairo.
Source: Alam-Albenaa magazine.
Middle: Electricity& Water Organization, Sharjah, UAE.
The writer.
Right: Al-Azeezia Market, Cairo. Source: AS Collection.

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its potential negative consequences, he presented the concept of the “architecture of the
poor.” This concept refers to a cost-effective, environment-oriented, and value-laden
architecture. He reflected these views in the village of New Gurna built in Upper Egypt.
Alongside the old village of Al-Gurna, a new village was established in cooperation between
Hassan Fathi and the local population of Al-Gurna. Fathi left a school of thought on the
resurgence of Islamic architecture, which is still pursued and developed by his followers in
Egypt.
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Conclusion: The Limitations of the Resurgence of Islamic Architecture Movement
In assessing the movement of the resurgence of Islamic architecture one must
remember that the movement is a recent one. It emerged and gained momentum during the
last twenty-five. Throughout this period the movement has contributed to the preservation of
classical Islamic architecture in view of the pressures of globalization and standardization. It
has also contributed to the creation of architecture compatible with the desert environment
and at the same time cost-effective, and mindful of the social needs of the people. On the
other hand, one notices that the theoretical component of the movement leaves a lot to be
desired. Apart from emphasis on Islamic values, the advocates of the movement spent most
of their time in proving the utility an applicability of their concepts. They still have to pay
more attention to the developing of an Islamic architecture under conditions of globalization.
Such theory should not emphasize only on the uniqueness of Islamic architecture, but also on
its contributions to global architecture. They also need to move beyond the emphasis on the
reflection of Islamic values, towards the development of a contemporary theory of Islamic
Two remarkable works of Hassan Fathy representing his imagination of how Islamic Architecture would deal with
community needs. Right: Akil Sami House, 1987; Left: New Gourna Village, 1943.
Source: The Aga Khan Visual Archives

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architecture, one that combines the socio-economic and architectural components of
architecture, and address itself to the challenges and contributions of globalization. Further,
the movement of the resurgence of Islamic architecture has restricted itself to small-scale and
single-function buildings. It has not dealt with more complex types of buildings such as sky-
scrappers, hospitals, and airports in order to show the relevance of their concepts to these
modern institutions. Advocates of the movement have been busy addressing themselves to
the issue housing, especially the housing of the poor. This is understandable given the socio-
economic challenges in the Muslim world. They still need to widen the scope of their
analysis to incorporate modern challenges.

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Traditional Islamic Architecture: Internal orientation, environmental treatments, Privacy consideration, long passages markets, with
strong and clear elements of style. Left: House in Aleppo, Syria. Source: Aga Khan Visual Archives. Middle-up: courtyard house in
Cairo. Middle-down: Market in Aleppo. Right: Qunsouah Alghuri Khan in Cairo. Middle and Right source: Architecture of the Islamic
World. Source: Architecture of the Islamic World.
Islamic Architecture Matrix in 20th Century
Source
Continuity & Beginning
Continuity in the 19th century, respecting spirit, traditions and values of the Islamic architecture
(Natural process). Three buildings of the late 19th century, Sharjah, UAE: Left: Al-Hussn;
Middle: Mana’nah mosque; Right: Al-Zarouni House.
Source: Graham Anderson.
Contemporary Production
Contemporary Production (1980th ~Now ): trials by muslim architects to gain the community
identity and Islamic architecture principles and values in their buildings. One time through
adopting traditional concepts, another time by abstracting external features and vernacular
architectural elements. These individual trials started to gain limited success, or al least presence in
the built environment. Top-Left: Hager El-Dabiah, Social building, Luxor, Egypt. Top (Middle&
Right): governmental buildings, Sharjah, UAE. Lower-Left: Majarrah Market, UAE. Lower-
Middle: Islamic Market of Sharjah. Lower-Right: Al-Azeeziah commercial building, Cairo.

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