The Mamluk City in the Middle East: History, Culture, and the Urban Landscape (Cambridge Studies in Islamic Civilization)

The Mamluk City In The Middle East Offers An Interdisciplinary Study Of Urban History, Urban Experience, And The Nature Of Urbanism In The Region Under The Rule Of The Mamluk Sultanate (1250-1517). The Book Focuses On Three Less-explored But Politically Significant Cities In The Syrian Region - Jerusalem, Safad (now In Israel), And Tripoli (now In Lebanon) - And Presents A New Approach And Methodology For Understanding Historical Cities. Drawing On Diverse Textual Sources And Intensive Field Surveys, Nimrod Luz Adroitly Reveals The Character Of The Mamluk City As Well As Various Aspects Of Urbanism In The Region, Establishing The Pre-modern City Of The Middle East As A Valid And Useful Lens Through Which To Study Various Themes Such As Architecture, Art History, History, And Politics Of The Built Environment. As Part Of This Approach, Luz Considers The Processes By Which Mamluk Discourses Of Urbanism Were Conceptualized And Then Inscribed In The Urban Environment As Concrete Expressions Of Architectural Design, Spatial Planning, And Public Memorialization-- Machine Generated Contents Note: Part I. Introduction: 1. Urban Regional History Before The Mamluks: Presenting Tripoli, Safad, And Jerusalem; Part Ii. The Tangible City: 2. Reading The Built Environment: A Field Survey Of Mamluk Jerusalem; 3. Houses And Residential Solutions In The Cities Of Al-sham; 4. The Neighborhood: Social And Spatial Expressions; Part Iii. The Socially Constructed City: 5. Awqāf And Urban Infrastructures; 6. Icons Of Power And Expressions Of Religious Piety: The Politics Of Mamluk Patronage; Part Iv. The Conceptualized City: 7. Cities Scripted, Envisioned, And Perceived; 8. The Public Sphere -- Urban Autonomy And Its Limitations. Nimrod Luz. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Cover 1 Half-title page 3 Series page 5 Title page 7 Copyright page 8 Dedication 9 Contents 11 Illustrations 12 Preface 15 Abbreviations 17 Part A: Introduction 19 1 Urban Regional History before the Mamluks: Presenting Tripoli, Safad, and Jerusalem 43 Part B: The Tangible City 59 2 Reading the Built Environment: A Field Survey of Mamluk Jerusalem 65 3 Houses and Residential Solutions in the Cities of al-Shām 87 4 The Neighborhood: Social and Spatial Expressions 102 Part C: The Socially Constructed City 123 5 Awqāf and Urban Infrastructures 125 6 Icons of Power and Expressions of Religious Piety: The Politics of Mamluk Patronage 166 Part D: The Conceptualized City 191 7 Cities Scripted, Envisioned, and Perceived 193 8 The Public Sphere: Urban Autonomy and Its Limitations 218 Conclusion 237 Appendices 249 Appendix A: Endowment Buildings in Mamluk Jerusalem 249 Appendix B: Endowment Buildings in Mamluk Tripoli 254 Bibliography 257 Index 277