ABSTRACT
Urbanism and architecture based on ecological principles have a long history in the Middle East. King Herod (first century bc) built several masterpieces that responded to the climatic and environmental conditions of Jerusalem, the Mediterranean coast and the Israeli desert. Among the major features of his responsive architecture were an excellent choice of location and orientation, a perfect definition of indoor and outdoor spaces and careful collection of water run-off. The Nabateans lived along the main Incense and Spice Route between India, Arabia and the Mediterranean. Over a period of 1,000 years ending in about the eighth century AD they established a culture that flourished in the extremely arid conditions of the desert. Here they developed agriculture, farms and cities that were very well adapted to the desert context. Later on, the cities built under the Ottoman Empire were based on sound principles of ecological town planning. Focusing now on modern times, the Israeli version of Bauhaus in the White City of Tel-Aviv, built during the last century, is a shining example of appropriate town planning and architecture based on the specific conditions of the region.
