Rethinking the Concept of Islamic City; Analysing Different Understandings of the Islamic City Concept and Explaining the Necessity of Ethical Reading

Document Type : Qualitative Research

Author
S.M. Khatami
Urban Design and Planning Department, Faculty of Art and Architecture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Aims: Numerous articles and books on the concept of "Islamic city" have been written by Muslim scholars and western orientalists over the past decades. Some scholars have indicated that the concept of an Islamic city is not appropriate with the requirements of contemporary times and on the other hand, some scholars argue that there is a need for more attention. The aim of this study in the first step was to classify and analyze different readings of Islamic city and it was rethinking the definition based on the requirements of contemporary times in the second step.

Instruments & Methods: The present study is descriptive-analytical and exploratory research. Data collection was conducted using library studies and depth interviews with experts inside and outside of the country that they were discussed, analyzed and criticized in comparison with each other. This study first categorized and compared the inter-religious and outer-religious approaches to the concept of Islamic cities. Another finding of this study was to add the inter-religious reading to earlier readings of the Islamic city. In this regard, in parallel with the investigation of different studies on Islamic cities, different layers of Islamic thought were also studied and adapted to existing readings.

Conclusion: In conclusion, the present study addresses the question of which aspect of Islamic thought is more in line with the needs of today's society in urban planning. According to the analyses indicated in the study, the emphasis on the ethical approach can meet the current requirements of cities in Islamic societies more than the other approaches.



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Naqshejahan- Basic studies and New Technologies of Architecture and Planning
Volume 9, Issue 3 - Serial Number 27
Autumn 2019
Pages 157-166