The role of the Friday Mosque (Al-Jami) in Islamic cities
Almansouri, Majdi Ahmed
This item is only available for download by members of the University of Illinois community. Students, faculty, and staff at the U of I may log in with your NetID and password to view the item. If you are trying to access an Illinois-restricted dissertation or thesis, you can request a copy through your library's Inter-Library Loan office or purchase a copy directly from ProQuest.
Permalink
https://hdl.handle.net/2142/21561
Description
Title
The role of the Friday Mosque (Al-Jami) in Islamic cities
Author(s)
Almansouri, Majdi Ahmed
Issue Date
1991
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Riley, Robert B.
Department of Study
Urban and Regional Planning
Discipline
Urban and Regional Planning
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
Architecture
Urban and Regional Planning
Language
eng
Abstract
This paper studies four prototypical models of early Islamic cities, namely Al-Basrah, Al-Kufah, Baghdad, and Damascus, and the different elements of which they were composed, with emphasis on Al-Jami (Friday mosque). It analyzes the importance of Al-Jami in the formation of these cities, the role it played physically, socially, and culturally, and its relation to the other elements of the urban fabric such as Al-Souq (market), Al-Madrasah (school), and Al-Khitat (residential neighborhoods). As early Islamic cities grew, it was harder to associate to a single Jami at the city center. As a result, Al-Jawami (plural of Al-Jami) spread throughout the city and incorporated other structures such as schools, baths, shops, caravanserais, and even hospitals and public kitchens, in order to satisfy the growing social and cultural needs of the inhabitants. The study examines the role of Al-Jami in the Ottoman regions in what is known as the Ottoman Kulliye (complex of buildings) because the process of incorporating a wide range of services with Al-Jami flourished in these regions especially in the 9$\sp{\rm th}$H/15$\sp{\rm th}$ and 10$\sp{\rm th}$H/16$\sp{\rm th}$ centuries.
The study concludes that Al-Jami was able to unify early Islamic cities physically, socially, and culturally and that today's planning of Islamic cities lacks the utilization of this characteristic. Moreover, the study also concludes that Al-Jami could play a significant role in today's Islamic cities if, with the continuation of Islamic awareness which calls for stronger ties to Al-Jami, the services that are scattered around the city could be incorporated with Al-Jami as nuclei for these cities. If that takes place, Islamic cities will have continuity and be more interactive physically and socially.
Use this login method if you
don't
have an
@illinois.edu
email address.
(Oops, I do have one)
IDEALS migrated to a new platform on June 23, 2022. If you created
your account prior to this date, you will have to reset your password
using the forgot-password link below.
