Earth vernacular architecture in the Western Desert of Egypt Dabaieh, Marwa Published in: VERNADOC RWW 2002 2013 Link to publication Citation for published version (APA): Dabaieh, M. (2013). Earth vernacular architecture in the Western Desert of Egypt. In M. 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LUND UNIVERSITY PO Box 117 221 00 Lund +46 46-222 00 00 Old Shali, a deserted town in Siwa Oasis in the Western desert of Egypt. An example of vernacular earth towns –built from Karshif blocks- dated back to 13th century. EARTH VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE IN THE WESTERN DESERT OF EGYPT Marwa Dabaieh Many academics and architects have noted that between of walls (Guelberth, 2003). Earthen architecture is the one third and a half of the population of the world lives product of relatively simple yet highly effective tech- or works in earth construction buildings (See Dethier, nology (Bourgeois, Pelos & Davidson, 1989, p. 55). 1983, McHenry, 1989, Warren 1999, Elizabeth, 2000, Earth provides a wide range of methods and tech- & Rael, 2009). Rammed earth, soil blocks, mud bricks niques in building walls, roofs and floors. It was men- or adobe are various applications for earth or clay soil tioned in the book Built by hand that earth can be molded (Minke, 2006). In Egypt, particularly in the Western into blocks; or hand-packed into structures or frames of Desert oases, earth is the main building material. Earth other materials (Steen, Steen & Komatsu, 2003). Desert block buildings in Upper and Middle Egypt have been vernacular in the Western Desert is rich in examples dated to more than 4,000 years back (May & Reid, of different approaches to earth building technology. 2010) and still exist today. Examples include the for- Mainly, the building method for walls is mud bricks tification of Habu city and the Ramses п temple near while exceptionally in the Siwa oasis it is salt blocks Gourna in Upper Egypt (Minke, 2000). Dethier and and mud (Karshif blocks). According to Rovero these Rael mentioned that archaeologists discovered one pair blocks were utilized in the masonry with an abundant of decorated coloured mud brick that is 3700-year-old mud mortar very rich in salt (Rovero & others, 2009). in Egypt (Dethier, 1983, p. 8 & Rael, 2009, p. 113). Along with the earth, the main roof material is local Rael also mentioned that descriptions of tools, meth- wood, either from trees or palms. Reeds and palm ribs ods and techniques for making and building with mud are used as secondary construction materials in roof brick are well documented in the hieroglyphs of ancient construction. Earth is an extremely versatile substance. Egypt (Rael, 2009, p. 113). It can be combined with many other components or ma- In nearly all hot-arid climates, earth has always been terials, especially straw and natural fibers, to form solid the most prevalent building material (Minke, 2006, p. volumes, thick walls and unifying plaster. 11). It is one of the materials that can be considered Adobe is an ancient term for mud brick dating back a viable and realistic option for much of world hous- more than four thousand years in Middle Egypt (Eliza- ing (Steen, Steen & Komatsu, 2003, p. 14). It comes beth & Adams, 2000). The word came from the Arabic in a thousand different compositions and can be vari- tuba meaning brick which came from the Coptic tobe ously processed (Minke, 2006, p. 7) and can be used as and from the Egyptian dbt (Garcias, Dethier & Meade, a plastering material and also in painting and decorating 1985). Then adobe was used in modern English to re- 24 Balat town in Dakhla oasis an example of mud brick town that Mud brick vernacular buildings in the oases can be up to four is still inhabited. stories high. fer to an architecture style popular in desert climates This quote supports the contention that earth is an in North America (May, 2010). Mud brick (adobe) as environmental building material and copes efficiently a material for building has been claimed to be the old- with the harsh arid desert climate, especially during hot est and most widely used form of vernacular construc- summers. It was mentioned in the book Building without tion in the world (Wright, 1991).Houses in the desert of Borders based on Hassan Fathy’s experience in Egypt Egypt, North Africa and also in the Middle East have that traditional earthen interiors remain cool during the been made out of mud bricks for at least 10 000 years day and release warmth at night, the opposite of con- (Marchand, 2009). Rael mentioned in his book Earth crete, a material that, in Egypt’s hot climates, traps and Architecture that almost half the world’s people know holds high temperatures unbearably (Kennedy, 2004). how to build dwellings with unfired earth bricks, ado- Desert oases‘ inhabitants can recycle earth easily, be, rammed earth or stamped earth and have extensive either re-using old earth blocks or bricks as building traditions for passing their knowledge on to following material or returning it to the soil to grow vegetation. generations (Rael, 2009). Earth has the ability to conserve energy, provides ther- Morgan describes the benefits of earth vernacular mal insulation, good heat storage and stabilizes indoor building in his book Earth architecture from ancient temperature (Bourdier & Trinh, 2011, p. 86) and it can to modern. He argues that earth vernacular structures absorb excess humidity (Steen, Athena & others, 2003, in desert climates reach a degree of sophistication that p. 14). Economically, constructing an earthen house in makes houses warm in winter, cool in summer, well the Western Desert costs almost nothing, because its protected against wind and sand storms, capable of material is obtained from the surrounding environment. absorbing excess humidity, impervious to insects, fire In addition, a house built with such local resources can and rot resistant as well (Morgan, 2008). Khalili stated be easily enlarged at low cost, as need arises. As people that mud-brick is a traditional material which has high build by themselves, there is no cost for workers’ fees. power of storage of cooling and heating energy and is In fact, neighbors and families help each other in the able to equilibrate temperature in the interiors of build- building process. In the oases you can offer your neigh- ings (Khalili, 1996). bor a meal as gratitude for helping with the construction One of the earth constructions’ great advantages is and that is the maximum cost. Moreover there are no its thermal properties. Because they may be as much transportation or manufacturing costs. As the Egyptian as two feet thick, mud has high heat-retaining capac- Architect Hassan Fathy said of mud brick constructions: ity. During the day, acting as passive solar collec- A house is essentially a communal production: one man tors, they insulate well against high temperature, and cannot build one house, but one hundred men can easily at night the heat that has been absorbed is slowly build a hundred houses. (Fathy, 1973, p. 121). released. While outside the temperature may soar Although earth may be perceived as a weak build- or plummet, indoor ones stay remarkably constant. ing material, due to desert vernacular trial and error (Bourgeois, Pelos & Davidson, 1989, p. 56) experimentation of uncountable ideas, earth structures have managed to survive for centuries. Also the delicate 25 Sun dried casted mud brick is the common building materials Building process with salt rocks and mud (Karshif blocks) in the desert oasis. which can be found only in Siwa oasis craftsmanship, wisdom and accumulation of experience today. Oliver described this know-how as the power have led to good designs that are comfortable for living of knowing and as a cognitive mix of the knowledge, and sustainable to this day. awareness, understanding and intuition of the local in- Recently, earth building techniques have not been as habitants. He also stated that over long periods in the widely used by local inhabitants in the oases as in the past this vernacular building know-how has been in past. The authors of Vernacular Mud Brick Architec- continuous development (Oliver, 2006). ture in the Dakhleh Oasis stated that in many places in Western Desert oases this form of architecture is slowly Building know-how being superseded by more recent building techniques The most distinctive aspect of desert vernacular is not using reinforced concrete and concrete blocks (Schijns, only the product of the knowhow but the know-how Kaper & Kila, 2003). process itself. Its distinctiveness is also in the correla- tions of disciplines involved in the way of thinking about Mud brick making in desert vernacular buildings and implementing building traditions and in planning In the Western Desert of Egypt people build with blocks the towns and villages.