ABSTRACT
Instigatedbytheacceleratedbuildingand constructionactivityinthatregionsince 1973,Ioutlined,inAugust1974,aresearch conceptforwhichIbegantoseeksupport andwhichultimatelycreatedthisstudy. Implicitinundertakingthisworkwasthe convictionthatbuildingandurbandevelopmentaccomplishedwithintheframeworkof Arabic-Islamiccivilizationachievedahigh levelofsophisticationandmeritedthorough studyandevaluationintermsofourcurrent needs.Thegoalsetoutfortheresearchwas toprovidethenecessaryinformationand techniquestohelpbridgethegapbetween currentpracticeintheArabandIslamic world(primarilyimportedfromtheWest) andthetraditionalexperiencewhich developedcontinuouslyoveraperiodofat least1,000years.Accordinglythreespecific objectivesweresetouttoaccomplishthat goal:
1ToidentifYandrecordthebuildingand planningprincipleswhichshapedthe traditionalArabic-Islamiccity.
