| Author(s) | MohammadA. AI-Hussayen |
| Affiliation | Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture and Building Sciences College of Architecture and Planning, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
| Title | Characteristics of Al-Ahwash Urban Pattern in |
| Source | Journal of King Saud University. Architecture & Planning. Volume 4, No 1. (1992/1412) |
| Abstract | The city of AI-Madinah AI-Munawarah, characterized by AI-Ahwash pattern, had developed on a large scale in the tenth century of AI-Hijrah (15th century A.D.), when the need had arisen to expand the city outside the city walls. This necessitated developing a housing system with security being the main objective. Ahwash continued to serve the AI-Madinah society until recently, when the Prophet's Mosque expansion began in 1991. This project required heavy demolition of the central area, including most of the Ahwash. Hawsh, the singular of Ahwash, is a unique housing system consisting of a group of dwellings sur-rounding an open semi-private space, controlled by a gate. This study aims to document Ahwash and define its historical development, physical urban structure, and social characteristics. The focus is on counting and grouping all Ahwash of AI-Madinah, determining their names, location, areas, number of dwellings, and comparing areas and shapes. The study also dis-cuses the possibility of adapting Ahwash pattern in newly developed areas and outlines planning criteria for this purpose. |
