Why are medinas worth exploring? They are some of the most densely populated areas on earth and represent some of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements. Their organization and structure are informed by climate, religion, social structure and transportation modeled after pedestrians and goods-laden animals. Public and private realm are extremely well defined and delineated. In some places these... Continue Reading →
06/01: Islamic City Planning
The five cities in four countries mentioned in yesterday's post find themselves with the Dar-al-Islam, within the historic boundaries of the Islamic Empire of the middle ages and later the Ottoman Empire. As a result of this shared history, certain urban structures and organization patterns can be seen as shared amongst the five cities. Stephano Bianca outlines... Continue Reading →
05/22: After Amnesia
Part one of a book review of Attilio Petruccioli's book After Amnesia: Learning from the Islamic Mediterranean Urban Fabric. After Amnesia: Learning from the Islamic Mediterranean Urban Fabric (2007) is the culmination of decades of research, interest and teaching of Islamic Mediterranean cities. The author, Attilio Petruccioli, serves as Dean at the School of Architecture... Continue Reading →
02/21: Void City
There is something beautiful and labyrinthine about medieval cities, be they Gothic and Christian or Muslim Medinas. These two examples should not be mistaken for one another, as they both represent unique ways in which culture and religion embed themselves into building patterns and neighborhood forms, I once compared the city of my father's childhood... Continue Reading →
01/14: Ghardaia, El Atteuf, and the M’zab Valley
I am continuing the theme of medina quarters with a few photos of Ghardaia, a UNESCO heritage site located in the Saharan desert of Algeria. I was lucky enough to visit Ghardaia this past May, going with a carload of family from El Bayadh (about a six hour drive away) to stay with my uncle's old college... Continue Reading →
Adam Achrati 