THE CITY IN THE ISLAMIC WORLD

The course is included among the related and supplementary (C) modules of the Master’s degree programmes in 'Languages and Cultures of Asia and Mediterranean Africa' (Middle East and Indian Subcontinent track), 'Classical Studies: Literature, History and Archaeology,' and 'History of Art and Conservation of Artistic Heritage.' It aims to broaden students’ knowledge of the cultures and societies of the Arab world in the Islamic period, by examining the formation of the city through the analysis of a significant range of case studies, with particular attention to the introduction and development of specific architectural forms as expressions of political agendas and religious programmes.

Students will acquire knowledge and skills enabling them to understand the development of selected cities in the Islamic world and of the most significant architectural forms shaping urban space. They will be able to reconstruct the processes underlying the formation of the city and its architectural components, as well as to identify the role played by political and religious factors in such processes. Students will also be able to conduct independent research on these topics.

No specific prior knowledge or skills are required.

The course will examine the development of the major urban centres of the Syro-Palestinian and Egyptian regions during a particularly significant phase in the history of the city in the Islamic world and its architecture, namely the Ayyubid and Mamluk sultanates (12th–15th centuries). The introduction and development of new architectural components (such as the madrasa and the hospital), the creation of large multifunctional complexes centred on the mausoleum, and the elaboration of increasingly sophisticated and efficient military architecture focused on the citadel profoundly reshaped the cities under consideration, redefining their form and function according to a coherent programme primarily inspired by political, as well as religious, objectives.
The principal architectural components of the cities of Aleppo, Damascus, Jerusalem, and Cairo will be analysed in detail and discussed within the broader context of the major political, economic, social, and cultural transformations characterising the period. Particular attention will be devoted to the creation and development of the citadel.

Materials will be made available on the MOODLE platform.

- T. Allen, Ayyubid Architecture, Occidental (California) 1996-2003 (pdf)
- D. Behrens-Abouseif, Islamic Architecture in Cairo, 1989 (pdf)
- D. Behrens-Abouseif, Cairo of the Mamluks, Cairo 2007 (selected chapters pdf).
- D. Behrens-Abouseif, The Mamluk City, in AAVV, The City in the Islamic World, Leiden and Boston 2008: 295-316 (pdf)
- D. Behrens-Abouseif, S. Denoix, J.-Cl. Garcin, Le Caire, in Grandes villes méditerranéennes du monde musulman médiéval, Roma 2000: 177-203 (pdf)
- S. Pradines, Les murailles du Caire, de Saladin à Napoléon, CRAI 2012/II, pp. 1027-1063 (pdf)
- S. Pradines, The Architectural History of the Citadel of Cairo, from the Ayyubids to the Ottomans, Castle Study Group Journal 39, 2025: 122-150 (pdf).

Additional titles will be provided during the course. The full bibliography will be supplied upon completion of the course.

During the oral examination, students will be required to discuss the development of one or more cities and the architectural complexes addressed in the lectures. They will also be asked to describe and analyse a complex of a similar typology to those studied, highlighting its specific features, innovations, and function.

oral

The lecturer has a duty to ensure that the rules regarding the authenticity and originality of exam tests and papers are respected. Therefore, if there is suspicion of irregular conduct, an additional assessment may be conducted, which could differ from the original exam description.

With regard to the grading scale, the following criteria apply:
A. Marks in the 18–22 range will be awarded where the student demonstrates:
- a sufficient knowledge and applied understanding of the course contents;
- a limited ability to gather and/or interpret data in forming independent judgements;
- sufficient communication skills.
B. Marks in the 23–26 range will be awarded where the student demonstrates:
- a fair knowledge and applied understanding of the course contents;
- a fair ability to gather and/or interpret data in forming independent judgements;
- fair communication skills, particularly in the use of the specific language of the discipline.
C. Marks in the 27–30 range will be awarded where the student demonstrates:
- a good or excellent knowledge and applied understanding of the course contents;
- a good or excellent ability to gather and/or interpret data in forming independent judgements;
- fully appropriate communication skills, particularly in the use of the specific language of the discipline.
D. A mark of 30 cum laude will be awarded where the student demonstrates excellent knowledge and applied understanding of the course contents, together with excellent judgement and communication skills.

Lectures supported by visual materials, available on the MOODLE e-learning platform. Part of the course will take a seminar format, and students will be expected to contribute to discussions on specifically assigned topics.

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "International cooperation" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development