Urban Space Management in Cordoba

Islamic theological works have not traditionally been reliable resources for research on the architecture and urban development of Andalusian cities. In this paper, a number of these books have been used in researching urban planning in Cordoba, particularly Diwan of Grand Judgments by Abi Al-Asbagh Issa bin Sahel (d. 486 of the Hijri Calender), which provides a rich resource on the study of the experience in the medieval cities of Al Andalus. This and similar works reveal various features of Cordoba’s urban development, such as the gradual loss of the tribal dimension in urban planning, the importance of spatial centralization, the lack of clear boundaries between private and public property in the communal use of the urban space, and the significance of religion in the organization of residential units. Based on the material in Issa bin Sahel’s work, one may conclude that a large amount of planning and rationality was present in the organization of urban space in Cordoba, despite various flaws. This thesis debunks the commonly-held argument, promoted by Western researchers, that rationality was absent and that urban planning was weak in the development of Cordoba and Islamic cities in general.

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Islamic theological works have not traditionally been reliable resources for research on the architecture and urban development of Andalusian cities. In this paper, a number of these books have been used in researching urban planning in Cordoba, particularly Diwan of Grand Judgments by Abi Al-Asbagh Issa bin Sahel (d. 486 of the Hijri Calender), which provides a rich resource on the study of the experience in the medieval cities of Al Andalus. This and similar works reveal various features of Cordoba’s urban development, such as the gradual loss of the tribal dimension in urban planning, the importance of spatial centralization, the lack of clear boundaries between private and public property in the communal use of the urban space, and the significance of religion in the organization of residential units. Based on the material in Issa bin Sahel’s work, one may conclude that a large amount of planning and rationality was present in the organization of urban space in Cordoba, despite various flaws. This thesis debunks the commonly-held argument, promoted by Western researchers, that rationality was absent and that urban planning was weak in the development of Cordoba and Islamic cities in general.

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