ABSTRACT
If cities in the Middle East and Central Asia are considered to be points of intersection between people, goods and information, it may be possible to understand historical change in the region as a whole through changes in urban economies and social and political orders (pp. 117, 284-5, 290-2). We hope that the future will see the establishment of a model that takes an extensive view of mutual relationships, aware of morphology, economics, politics and society, and culture. Large numbers of questions that go beyond the borders of architectural, cultural, political or socio-economic history need to be raised. Since this Conclusion has been written with that purpose in mind and each separate chapter is seasoned with a discussion of historical change, we will not go further into the specific question here.
