Building on Desert Tides: Traditional Architecture of the Arabian GulfThis book chronicles the florescence of architecture in the Arabian Gulf after the expulsion of the Portuguese in the early 1600's. It demonstrates how the power vacuum created by the collapse of Portuguese control over the trade routes in the Indian Ocean encouraged a growth in fortified architecture, especially in Oman, that radiated out to the surrounding region and was then slowly replaced by new patterns in domestic and public architecture and town planning throughout the Gulf as the trade lines were secured and the individual countries took the first steps towards the formation of today's modern nation-states.The book documents the buildings and crafts of this era and analyses them within the framework of the political, economic, and social information available through primary sources from the period in a way that is both intelligent and accessible. It considers the settlements as part of a larger-connected network of cities, towns and villages and focuses both on how the buildings provided innovative solutions to the demanding climate and yet incorporated new decorative and functional ideas. Topics are extensively and richly illustrated with colored photographs of the buildings as they are now, black and white and color historic photographs from archival and museum collections, line drawings, and computer-generated reconstructions.The book is therefore attractive to a number of audiences, including those who live in or travel to the Gulf as well as people with an interest in Arab and Islamic design, culture and society, vernacular architecture, and post-colonial approaches to colonial history. |
Contents
An Archaeological History of the Gulf | 1 |
The Arabian Gulf | 21 |
Building Types in the Gulf | 43 |
Copyright | |
6 other sections not shown
Other editions - View all
Traditional Architecture of the Arabian Gulf: Building on Desert Tides R. Hawker Limited preview - 2008 |
Common terms and phrases
19th century Abu Dhabi Arabian coast Arabian Gulf ARAMCO areesh badgir Bahrain Bandar Abbas Bani Yas Basra Bastak Batinah Coast boats British BUILDING ON DESERT built Buraimi oasis Bushehr camel caravan Central Arabia coastal constructed coral Damluji date gardens decorative dhow Doha Dubai early 20th century fortified forts Fujairah Gazetteer Hormuz Ibid important Indian Ocean interior Islamic island J. G. Lorimer Jazirat al-Hamra Kuwait Langeh located lower Gulf majlis Manama masonry mosque mountains mud brick Muharraq Muscat Najd northern Oman Oman's Omani Ottoman palm frond pattern pearl banks peninsula Persian Gulf plaster population ports Portuguese Qatar Qatif Qawasim Ras al-Khaimah region residential residents roof routes Saudi Arabia seasonal Sharjah Sheikh southern stone structure style Sultanate summer throughout the Gulf town trade tribal tribes Trucial Coast typical Umm al-Qaiwain United Arab Emirates upper Gulf villages Wadi walls wind tower Yarwood Σετ