Journal of Researches in Islamic Architecture

---

City is consisted of a range of specific activities which are responsive to human needs. It deals with human’s features, thoughts and approaches and struggles to achieve formation of the city depending on his world-view and insight. Degree of desirability and quality of the city relates to intellectual space that are prevailing on it. Islam as a human insight which is rooted from their worldview that have defunded the tenet for human life has defined principles for human’s lifestyles which consists of absolute attributes of God, human’s and intellectual origins. This subject directs human perfection to the attributes of God, because it is related to human nature and common property of humans. The organization of the Islamic city present components and indexes propound life and idealistic city components and index that is proportional to human nature differ with insight. Accordingly, the necessity of the research is achieving the principle of Islamic city and response to human needs for achieve perfection. This paper deals with attitudes, categories component and indicators Islamic city that is proportional to the common natural tendencies. On the one hand, the research is a cross-sectional one that processes with analysis and physical content and it is strategic nature of interpretive. On the other hand, by using (logical-analytical) reasoning, it begins description and presentation of instances Islamic city and index organization city. Based on the research data, principal of Islamic city is based on inherent characteristics of human and social body of city that describe five natural tendencies. The trends according to martyr Motahhari’s opinion in book of nature consists of truth and achieve perfection, goodness and virtue, beauty, creativity and innovation and tendency to worship. This results for principles recognition. Accordingly, what is the meaning and principles derived from five natural tendencies was argument base on the Islam. It comes from innate human that trends to truth and achieve to the knowledge of indigenous and monotheistic. Also, the piety, introspection and Unitarianism is influenced. The tendency to goodness and virtue, personal and social virtue and justice will prevail in the city. Beauty trends reinforce beautiful sense at the individual community and content physical level. Creativity is an innate human tendency to feel that the Islam city of guidance, correction and makes lessons. Pure nature human in premier authority show trending to love and worship the qualities such as meditation, thank and centralism at the Islamic city. Meanings, principle influence by trends indicate that most cases be explained by characteristics of man- made, belief, values, realms of human existence and in other word, it is his worldwide. The root of all bad ones originated from ignorance and irrationality and the city that as worldview based on the human form has higher status in comparison with what is free of thought and intellect. So what qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the human body define is the wisdom or knowledge of the truth. Wisdom is the branch of the divine inspiration of the hidden secret in nature and the human body that god has entrusted. Wisdom is divine messenger of God that is strong and rich source of Islam that has interactive relationship with nature and the law. The urban design based on intellectual foundations of Islam, the principles of Islamic life and its behavioral pattern. Human and rational behavior flows in any of its spaces. On the other hand, the fact-based wisdom know and must be guidance until it guides him, and guidance as to the person who created the universe and man and knows him, who his needs .he is aware of the higher interests. Establish his eternal life and gives him schedules. Meaning, principles influenced by trends indicate that most cases explained by man-made characteristics of Islam is based on understanding of man and his objectives do and do not and indexes in religious texts such as “ Quran “ which is at the top of them. Shariah principles based on reason and consequently natural human tendencies and trends in response to insight or knowledge and asks to come to the intellectual life of the human being is perfect. Criteria and indicators can be divided in five groups of orientation and mental demands of his innate tendency to reach the truth and perfection, goodness and virtue, beauty, creativity, innovation and love and worship and because it is a response to all his needs, these trends provide the background of his relaxation and confidence and since the nature is put in the man and we all accept the fact that God is the accepted wisdom of human thought. Each of the five branches of arguments based on the intended meaning is rooted in the principles, criteria and indicators proposed by the organization identifies the Islamic city. Because these components are rooted in the principles and concepts appropriate to the areas affected by natural and man shall enjoy the physical and social aspect. In this way the city is structured according to Islamic social and physical factors and indicators are formed, is the rational and intellectual city that as human nature which is divided in the form (appearance) and means (conscience) program of physical (body) and affers community. Accordingly, we can say that Islamic city gaits on the worldview, belief, and human existence realm and by recognizing the existence realm and by recognizing the existence of real human needs and it’s identification, it troop fields flourishing spiritual life and growth of human perfection. Based on this research, comm:::union::: city in the physical aspect is originated based on the spiritual and influenced by religious. The nature is inherent characteristics of human with knowledge-based thoughts that create form and comm:::union::: morality and comm:::union::: city is effective in its intensity and the effect.

---

In recent decade, various types of reports, articles, and books have been published in relation with Islamic city, but the terminology of “Islamic city” is not yet defined clearly in these publications. Explanation of the subject and its definition that called as Islamic city is the first step of this research. The descriptive and analytical method has been used as the research methodology in this paper, through which all the existing published literature were surveyed and analytically reviewed. Literature survey shows that most of the recent studies are about existing cities that Muslims settled over there. The recent publication about Islamic city can be classified into two groups. First, those who defined Islamic city based on dominating elements of existing traditional Islamic cities. The second group is those who define Islamic city based on significant Islamic advices. In the other word the first group tries to say what an Islamic city is, on the bases of existing city in Islamic era. The other group besides denying the first group definition tries to say what an Islamic city shall be on the bases of religious valid documents. In addition, addressing to some of Islamic general principals mentioned in the major Islamic documents such as holy book of Quran is another side of nowadays published studies. Unfortunately, Muslim thinkers and theorists in the field of urban design and planning  have little activities for presenting clear definition of Islamic city, pointing out its major criteria, and the approaches that one can physically crystallize various  religious thoughts with emphasis on Quran, “Nahj al-Balaghe”, and Hadiths (Important statement of Islamic religious leaders). Furthermore, the text context that was published by eastern experts has been studied and analyzed. In this regard, results of the studies were presented by focusing on the main key words in relation to urban areas and urbanism, in valid description of various specific Quran verses, and “Hadiths”. Discussion of this article also deals with a brief history of Islamic cities. In this regard a few towns related to Muslims, and their relation with Islam was studied as case studies. Then, application of Islamic thoughts, for an urban society is followed. In continuation, it has been tried to define and developed a process to determine the main principles for creating Islamic conditions on the bases of the significant aim and objectives of Islam religion. In this paper, views of various western and eastern scholars about: How one can define an Islamic city is reviewed. Result of the study indicates that western theorists have defined an Islamic city on the bases of the dominating physical features and elements of existing cities of Muslim inhabitance during various Islamic eras. The result of this section of the study shows that these elements are such as “Jame” mosque, bazaar, governor fort, and city enclosure walls. But, the eastern theorists who are familiar with Islamic religious verses and the advices of great But the result of the other section of the research indicate that: Islamic leaders show that: Islam is a perfect religion among other religions. It has useful fruitful teachings that many of them can be quiet responsive in achieving good criteria for planning and design of an Islamic city. Some of the eastern theorists who are familiar with Islamic religious verses and the advices of great Islamic leaders like prophet and Imams show that: the main concept and spiritual aspect behind each and every element in an Islamic cities and the various factors to call a city Islamic, is much more important than those physical one. They also believe that an Islamic city should be planned and designed on the bases of major Islamic principle concepts such as justice, unity security, privacy, etc.

In the end, to show the process that how one can reflect the Islamic advices in a physical situation, a conceptual presentation  which is already written by M. R. & A. Pourjafar (2013) about an Islamic Iranian mohalla is described and displayed in brief below. The design principles of «Mohallahs» (Traditional Persian-Islamic Neighborhood) in the Islamic cities since the beginning of Islam are examined in that research. Then the role of mosque as one of the important elements that defines the physical dimensions and also meets the needs of the social, political, cultural and residential sectors of the city was determined. The superiority of design principles of «Mohallahs» in Persian-Islamic cities with having Mosque, «Hoseiniah», «Tekyeh» and other religious buildings as their centers and hub of their socio/cultural activities in comparison with planning and design of present situation in Muslim residential areas, is shown clearly. Studying of «Mohallahs» in the old Persian-Islamic cities of Iran proves the sustainability, durability and significant role of mosque for quality dimensions of city designing and social issues in compare with neighborhood unit in the west. The study of Persian-Islamic advices also indicates Islam as a religion has many advices as far as neighborhood design is concerned. This can happen, on the bases of Quranic verses and «Hadiths», and conclusion derived from study of existing traditional Persian-Islamic «Mohallahs», through which a new modal has been proposed for Persian-Islamic «Mohallah». A central car free square with respect to social dimensions with all required, land uses and activities all around it was also proposed. The mosque and other religious and socio/cultural buildings are the focal points of this «Mohallah». The central urban space of the «Mohallah» has walkable accessibility from farther points all around it. The functional radius of the purposed «Mohallah» on the bases of the mentioned «Hadiths» by Imam Ali (Forty houses from the mosque, are neighbors) is about four to five hundred meters. This model may be used for designing of contemporary residential «Mohallah» in new towns and extension areas of existing cities in future. A purposed Islamic city may have number of such residential units called “Mohalla” around a bazaar complex (similarly designed on the bases of above process). In this way and the bases of above process, one can achieve various kind of Islamic city.

Finally, it is concluded that: The great religion of Islam has wise and rational advises and teachings. These can be converted into practical criteria through a proper process and programming. In this way, one can create responsive Islamic environment that may not be as utopian as heaven but, obviously they can be more responsive than what we are facing in our contemporary situation nowadays. No doubt, there are also many examples of Islamic-Persian cities with high quality of urban design. By analyzing their design one can derive various criteria and get many lessons for contemporary planning and design of the Iranian Islamic city. Therefore, hopefully, in this way we can create a better kind of environment for Muslims inhabitants that can answer most of their behavior and activities with creation of various convivial urban spaces.

---

So far, insufficiency of fluency non-native patterns in urban planning system and reliance on imported versions in our urban planning, which has imposed heavy consequences on our organization city. Superficial imitation of the patterns and lack of inclusion of indigenous socio-cultural foundations, not only failed due to an intolerance to adapt with Iranian-Islamic identity of the city but also but sometimes incomplete or improper implementation of them, has created double dilemma. Glorious history of Islamic civilization is full of strong evidence to show that always Muslims with intelligence and interaction with other cultures can use positive approaches of the others, Of course, in this way the main source was the Qoran and the Prophet (PBUH) and the Ahlul Bayt method. Therefore, localization and using benefit of the positive achievements, in particular the successful experiences, it can be catalyst and facilitator to achieve a model of their own culture. In this context and to respond to the significant challenges of development and conservation issues in the context of historical Islamic cities ,in this study scrutinizes, integrated urban regeneration policy and according to the contextually logic and its components, introduced native model of integrated urban regeneration in the context of historical Islamic cities. Obviously this issue is possible, after becoming today›s one-dimensional man and as a result imbalances in the structure of the city caused cultural gap and injection of indigenous component, only through recognition of the Islamic identity of the city and its components based on Islamic thought. Qualitative methods of this study, with descriptive-analytic approach, gathers information through using documentary. The main sources are the urban regeneration literature and the Book of God, Imams traditions, legacy of Islamic cities.Every religion can be clearly reflected in the construction of the physical, economic, social, cultural and geographical spaces which can be observed under the realm of religion. Islam binds importance and value of city to scale of its spirituality of the people. Therefore, Islamism of city depends on can present the principles and values that Word of God has defined to the Muslim community. A Islamic city is Islamic if  its physical aspect is manifestation and expression of Islamic values for human life and the basis of the attributes of divine action; Absolutely in such this structure, unison of material and spiritual components to unity, in totality-unity in diversity- must be fulfilled; Such that human virtues such as justice, moral virtues for example honesty, safety and security and in general all religious good nesses are plentiful in the Islamic utopia and of course, in considering to  physical aspect will not  never neglect the virtues and somehow is going to be built in such spaces that have virtue and reminder for human. Meanwhile the urban context, both historical and new, is objective space as constituents of the Islamic city in association with intellectual and practical space follow the realization of a goal. According to Islamic teachings, the ultimate goal of human is perfection and excellence that will not be possible unless we pay attention to God, therefore, in the Islamic urban planning all components must be noted and used to improve human. The deteriorated texture problems in the structure of our modern cities, not new and not fully solved and so far main part of this problem goes to the logic of policies that have been adopted. Nowadays, decision-makers face trouble because of lack of the pattern which adaptive to social, economic, and geographical attributes of country and rely on imported patterns. More patterns arising from the capitalist system that except their own interests, and not pursuing another target. It is clear that the adoption and use of global patterns not only is not required and pre assigned version for all cultures and nations, but also is not in many cases definitive. So it seems to achieve Islamic-Iranian model of progress, first, it should recognized basic principles of common pattern in all aspects of decision-making in solving problem and then be recognized main assumptions underlying them and adapted to the culture and conditions. Therefore, understanding the process of change and protection of them is key to integrated urban regeneration. In this study, Based on theoretical principles of Islamic city, model for integrated urban regeneration process in historical context are explained and localized, from this perspective lack of comprehensive theoretical mechanism for dealing with the deteriorated historical context in modern cities of our country will solved.