ABSTRACT
Textual representation of architecture is gradually becoming a major source of architectural historiography, because it has the potential to unveil unknown historical material. This chapter analyses the concept of textual representation and implements ‘urban literature’ to discover the urban qualities of Baghdad in the past, by examining specific texts to disclose connections between a place and its social circumstances. This process offers a deeper understanding of the city, its foundation and its circumstances at many levels.
This chapter also discusses language as a crucial element of expression that affects understanding. It highlights the vital features of the Arabic language and its richness through the incorporation of countless words that have diverse and expressive meanings. It also enlightens the situations of Baghdadi scholars, who have produced significant intellectual works. Moreover, this chapter outlines the ‘thematic approach’ as part of the ‘integrated interpretation’ method. This approach helps to realise clues of urban life that are hidden in metaphorical compositions.
