The City of the Prophet, a Reflection on the City Structure during Early Islam

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 PhD student, Urban Planning, Faculty of Art and Architecture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.

2 Ph.D., Department of Urban Planning, Faculty of Arts, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.

10.22034/ias.2021.292552.1641

Abstract

The structure of cities has been influenced by various economic, social and cultural factors since the emergence of the first cities. Over time, these factors have undergone changes and transformations. Efforts to achieve a suitable model of the Islamic city that can meet the needs of today's society have been raised as one of the concerns of researchers in the field of urban planning and Islamic studies in recent decades. Identifying the characteristics of the Islamic city in the time of the Prophet (PBUH) as the founder of Islam, can help identify this pattern. This research has been done by a descriptive and analytical method based on library data via a comparative-historical method and has studied the examples of the first early cities of Islamic history such as Mecca and Medina. Previous studies show that the city at the time of the Prophet was more known for the function of its components, especially the mosque, rather than for its physical components. The use of the method of transgression in order to divide the earth is the technique that has led to the formation of the principle of spatial and territorial hierarchy in such cities. In terms of function, the mosque is formed in a hierarchical manner, following the method of Taqtit, with an open space pattern for urban events, and acts as the most important urban space in this period. Without doubt, in the following periods after the Holy Prophet (PBUH) - we see the decline of the importance of the mosque in its physical aspect.

Research aims:
1. Identifying the characteristics of Islamic cities in the early period of Islam, especially in the time of the Prophet (PBUH).
2. Recognition of effective factors in the development of urban life in the first century AH.

Research questions:
1. What were the examples of urban planning in the early cities of Islam at the time of the Prophet (PBUH)?
2. How did the religion of Islam affect the structure of the city during the time of the Prophet (PBUH)?

Keywords

References

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Islamic Art Studies
Volume 18, Issue 42 - Serial Number 42
February 2021
Pages 297-312

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