The structural approach to city image (Al-Madinah Al-Munawarah)

Abstract

Today there are huge and radical changes taking place in the development of almost all the cities of the Muslim world, among them the city of Al- Madinah Al- Munawarah. These have brought profound changes in ways of life, urban structure and styles of architecture which have permeated and transformed the very social and physical fabric of the cities and are destroying the quality of the urban environment and Muslim way of life. The Muslim city is in danger of becoming a mere copy of the worst elements of many Western cities: ugliness, noise, air pollution, a frenetic way of life and all the associated social problems.

Meanwhile it is felt fundamental to approach Islamic civilisation not as a mere object of investigation, with the Muslim city as its museum of historical heritage, but as a living reality, a faith and an inspiration to milliards of people in the world of Islam who do not separate their ethical values and their cultural identity from their demands for social welfare, justice and a humane quality of life within the modern process of economic development.

Since we live in the world of the mind, it follows that the problems can be seen as a battle for the mind. In this realm of persuasion and stimulation it is the image which assumes the key role and it is the image makers - the authors, controllers and artists, among them the built environment professionals - who hold a special responsibility. Furthermore it is the reasons and processes underlying the formation of particular interests and images that take on special significance. This is critical if one tries to solve the problems of the formation and development of the symbolic patterns in a historical city such as the city of Al- Madinah, which is known as the City of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

The author aims to propound a comprehensive study of the patterns of tradition and historic events of the Prophet's time which inspired and generated the form of the city of Al- Madinah. The study focuses on the preservation of the deep images embedded in people's perception of the city in order to project them to sustain its form in the future. Therefore, the author has in mind the objective of conserving Islamic architectural heritage in general, and the necessity of impressing, on the consciousness of the powers that be, the urgency of preserving the heritage of the city of Al- Madinah before it in particular is destroyed. The City of the Prophet must be considered as being on no account expendable, regardless of the gains made in replacing the old by the new.

Finally the present study forms a sequel to the findings extracted from literature and from the case study, as related to the Islamic Legal System. Common to all these fields is the view that architecture represents a means to give man an existential foothold, similar to the view of phenomenological approaches. The author's primary aim is therefore to investigate the psychic implications of architecture rather than its practical side, although he certainly admits that there exists an interrelationship between the two aspects. In reviewing the literature, the "structural" dimension is discussed as part of a comprehensive system in transformation. At the same time, the thesis stresses that the environment influences human beings, implying that the purpose of architecture transcends the definition given by structuralism. A discussion of perception and image has been therefore included emphasising that man cannot gain a foothold through scientific understanding alone. He needs symbols, that is, works of art which represent life- situations. It is one of the basic needs of man to experience his life -situations as meaningful, and the purpose of the work of art is to reflect meanings. The concept of "meaning" is also a strong theme throughout thesis.