Durham E-Theses Conservation in an Islamic context a case study of Makkah Touba, El Sayed M. How to cite: Touba, El Sayed M. (1997) Conservation in an Islamic context a case study of Makkah, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/4981/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk El Sayed M. Touba CONSERVATION IN AN ISLAMIC CONTEXT A CASE STUDY OF MAKKAH DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY PRESENTED TO THE FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES IN THE UNIVERSITY OF DURHAM IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF PHILOSOPHY. 1997 The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without the written consent of the author and information derived from it should be acknowledged. ~= 1 DEC 1998 Dedication To Makkah, the heart ofthe Islamic world, I dedicate this research, may Allah accept my humble work. The Author 11 DECLARATION The author declares that the total work in this thesis is the sole submission to the University of Durham, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Geography. 111 Acknowledgements I would like to express my deep appreciation to Dr. Douglas Pocock, the supervisor of my thesis, whose help and guidance contributed a great deal in producing this work. I would also like to extend my thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Gazzard for their interest, patience and support. I acknowledge the great help and fruitful discussions with Dr. Hesam Goma, Dr. Farahat, Mr. Llewellyn and Dr. Baqader. They pointed me in the right direction. I would like to express my deep sorrow for the loss of my friend Dr. George Duncan, who supported me strongly, corrected, edited and furnished me with much information and resources during the course of this study. My deep appreciation goes to Gretchen and the late Mike Fawzi for their valuable criticism and clear vision that helped in producing this thesis. Many thanks go to Dr. Sami Angawi, the former Director of The Hajj Research Centre, who provided me with valuable data and references. I would like to thank my colleagues Hesham, Essam, Hassan, Romeo, Ramos and Ahmed for their assistance. Many thanks also go to Pat Spath, Jackie Fatone, and Sue Houck for their assistance in editing and typing my thesis. Finally all my love and appreciation go to my wife Sanaa, my sweet daughter Sara, and my energetic son Sari--for their patience with me and for all the hours lost in being with them. Many thanks go to all my interested friends who helped and supported me in my thesis preparation. IV ABSTRACT CONSERVATION IN AN ISLAMIC CONTEXT A CASE STUDY OF MAKKAH The Holy Qu'ran contains many injunctions for Muslims to respect and conserve the natural environment but few address the built environment. Habitat at the time of the Prophet (PBOH) was in the vernacular and relatively impermanent. The first habitat was the cave, the second the tent and then simple flat roofed buildings of post and lintel construction made of mud and rubble. Later buildings were not indigenous but reflected the architectural styles and techniques of Muslim pilgrims from beyond the Arabian peninsula. Permanent exotic buildings were later erected as reminders of holy places and events. This work advances a case to restore and preserve historic and religious sites in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Makkah is the destination for millions of Muslim pilgrims who annually pay homage to Allah during the occasions of Hajj, Ramadan and Umra. The tranquillity and peaceful ambience that one associates with the holiest of Islamic experiences have, over the years, given way to jostling crowds of people who must be expediently housed, fed, transported, and protected. Due to the lack of planning and the insensitive but profitable development of the city, Makkah is in grave danger of becoming a bustling metropolis instead of a sanctuary where pilgrims gather to perform their religious rites and reaffirm their dedication to Allah. The author calls for professional planning and international cooperation to guide future development for this expanding and sensitive area. The author's ideas are grounded in practical and aesthetic study, therefore, the political, environmental and economic issues are examined in relationship to religious, historic and artistic values. The author makes proposals for a future Makkah that would provide pilgrims with the physical comforts, security, and serene environment they deserve-without destroying the city they came to visit. The author discusses preservation and conservation in the western world and the need for their acceptance in Muslim countries, the former being an aesthetic and intellectual concept sustained by law and the latter being the prescribed free expression of the individual unhindered by material considerations. Both worlds are rapidly being overwhelmed by materialism, but body, mind and spirit combine in making us aware of our surroundings and the way in what we see around us has come into being. v ABSTRACT CONSERVATION IN AN ISLAMIC CONTEXT A CASE STUDY OF MAKKAH The Holy Qu'ran contains many injunctions for Muslims to respect and conserve the natural environment but few address the built environment. Habitat at the time of the Prophet (PBOH) was in the vernacular and relatively impermanent. The first habitat was the cave, the second the tent and then simple flat roofed buildings of post and lintel construction made of mud and rubble. Later buildings were not indigenous but reflected the architectural styles and techniques of Muslim pilgrims from beyond the Arabian peninsula. Permanent exotic buildings were later erected as reminders of holy places and events. This work advances a case to restore and preserve historic and religious sites in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Makkah is the destination for millions of Muslim pilgrims who annually pay homage to Allah during the occasions of Hajj, Ramadan and Umra. The tranquillity and peaceful ambience that one associates with the holiest of Islamic experiences have, over the years, given way to jostling crowds of people who must be expediently housed, fed, transported, and protected. Due to the lack of planning and the insensitive but profitable development of the city, Makkah is in grave danger of becoming a bustling metropolis instead of a sanctuary where pilgrims gather to perform their religious rites and reaffirm their dedication to Allah. The author calls for professional planning and international cooperation to guide future development for this expanding and sensitive area. The author's ideas are grounded in practical and aesthetic study, therefore, the political, environmental and economic issues are examined in relationship to religious, historic and artistic values. The author makes proposals for a future Makkah that would provide pilgrims with the physical comforts, security, and serene environment they deserve--without destroying the city they came to visit. The author discusses preservation and conservation in the western world and the need for their acceptance in Muslim countries, the former being an aesthetic and intellectual concept sustained by law and the latter being the prescribed free expression of the individual unhindered by material considerations. Both worlds are rapidly being overwhelmed by materialism, but body, mind and spirit combine in making us aware of our surroundings and the way in what we see around us has come into being. VI Table of Contents Title Page ............................................................................................................. i Dedication .......................................................................................................... ii Declaration ........................................................................................................ iii Acknowledgements ............................................................................................ iv Abstract .............................................................................................................. v Table of Contents ............................................................................................... vi . fF" ... L1st o 1gures .................................................................................................. Vlll Copyright .......................................................................................................... xii CHAPTER ONE: Introduction and Summary Outline.................................................................. 1 A. The Author ................................................................................................. 1 B. The Topic ................................................................................................... 2 C. Sununary Outline ........................................................................................ 5 CHAPTER TWO: The Growth