International Journal of Human Settlements Vol. 1 . Nr. 2 . 2017 Characteristics of the medina of Tlemcen Walid HAMMA Received: 15 June 2017 • Revised: 22 July 2017 • Accepted: 24 August 2017 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MEDINA OF TLEMCEN Walid HAMMA Lecturer, Dr, Arch, Abu Backr Belkaid Tlemcen University, Faculty of Technology, Department of Architecture, email:
[email protected] Abstract: The ancient vernacular city of Tlemcen is called Islamic Medina. Through this study we want to confirm that its name is not fortuitous. It has characteristics of an Islamic city. To confirm this hypothesis, we analyzed its urban tissues using a typo-morphological and functional approach, also studying the following elements: urban frame and spatial organization, urban roads, squares, souks, gardens, fountains and the large pond, the ramparts and gates, symbolic elements, arches and skifas, mosques, medersas, zawiyas, palaces, fondouks, ferrane, hammams, mausoleums, tanneries and mills, houses. Key words: Medina, architecture, urbansim, Islam, Tlemcen Introduction The medina is a Muslim city whose functions, organization (urban and society) and architecture obey the precepts of Islam, it presents the apogee of the Islamic civilization. UNESCO defined it in 1995 through a detailed study of this urban entity: "The medina, in Arabic, was the integrated and integral city, a social unit of reference, exclusive habitat to the consolidation of sedentary lifestyle. Nucleus permeable space rural areas that feed it and the commercial activities that support it despite the ramparts that close it and protect it from the threat of the invaders. Inside of his walls germinates to a living social fabric with his passions of love and war capable of building the history of his own identity, and his own identity signs and the translation of lifestyles to the literary and artistic creation, and the architectural expression and craft" (UNESCO, 1995).