1

Identification of Traditional Defensive Architecture of Taima, Saudi Arabia

Hisham MortadaKing Abdul Aziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia12/02/16

212/02/16DATASA: Documentation & Analysis of Traditional Architecture of Saudi Arabia

312/02/16

FindingCertain defensive urban & architectural elements indicated that inhabitants lived in continuous fear from threat/attack.

412/02/16

Objectives• Understanding local context of old Taima.• Identifying sources of threat that distributed

public & private peace of Taima.• Analyzing Taima’s traditional architecture in view

of residents’ defense needs.

512/02/16

Methodology• Literature review (historic documents)• Field survey (April 2013)• Documentation of urban and architectural features.• Elderly residents interviews.• Al-Najem Souq/neighborud as a case study.

612/02/16

Geography

712/02/16

History• Ancient history due to

geography and topography (agriculture)

• Inhabited since the Bronze Age

Head of a Lihyanite statue recovered in Taima through Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities(Source: Saudi Commission, 2012)

812/02/16

History

The ancient trade routs of Taima

912/02/16

History• 2500 years ago, due to its location on

ancient Mid-East trade routs and religious importance, as a center of the Moon-God cult, Taima was a center of a great empire. The Babylonian Nabonidus established his court in Taima in 553 BC & built a stone wall around it containing monuments inside. Outside were ruins of tombs, surveillance towers and irrigation canals.

1012/02/16

1112/02/16

History• In pre-Islamic period, Taima continued its important

political and commercial role as a caravan city.• 9th-17th century, the role was decreased due to power

concentration in the Fertile Crescent.• In 18th Century, it became part of the Ottoman Empire,

a center for desert tribes.

1212/02/16

History• In 1889, it gained

independence under the rule of Ibn Rumman family. For security, settlement concentrated in the main town while adjacent villages were abandoned.

• In 1923, part of Saudi Arabia.

Ottomans

Hail/Taima

1312/02/16

Taima from the south-south-west, 1909

Part of Taima in the 1950s

1412/02/16

History: Sources of Attack• External: Due to agricultural/economic & geographic

aspects.• Internal: Political tense due to independence from the

Ottoman Empire (Ibn Rumman era, prior to KSA).

1512/02/16

Urban Fabric• Consisted 3 parts:• The main village, around al-Haddaj Well• Eastern village (al-Sharq)• Western village (al-Gharb)

1612/02/16

Urban Fabric

1712/02/16

Urban Fabric• Around 200 houses, inhabited by 1000-1500

individuals, and surrounded by walled gardens or farms.

• Divided into 15 clusters (souqs) on clan basis.• Each cluster has its own defensive tower, gate and

mosque.• Houses & gardens protected by walls against tribal

raids.

1812/02/16

Urban Fabric• No central market place.

Trading was in the form of exchanging products in landowners’ houses.

The location of Souq al-Najem in old Taima. Notice the organic urban fabric around it.

1912/02/16

Urban Fabric• Pathways

connected wards with central public space of the main village.

2012/02/16

Architectural Features (al-Najem Souq)• Carried its name

from al-Najem family, al-Najem Souq is a gated residential ward with a main footpath having houses on one or both sides.

• Gate opened during the day and closed at night

2112/02/16

Architectural Features (al-Najem Souq)• In front of the gate, there is

an area for traders’ camels to rest.

• An underground aperture beside the gate allowed guests or strangers to get into the Souq at night in a crawling mode, leaving their luggage (or weapons) outside.

2212/02/16

Architectural Features: Typical House• Surrounded by a wall at 3 sides, each has an

entrance.• Main entrance opens onto the souq’s main footpath,

dedicated for guests & household.• Second entrance, opens onto the footpath, leads

directly to the background of the house.• Third entrance connects the backyard of the house to

the gardens of farms.

• Consists of two main parts: al-Haramlek, housed the daily activities of family, and the castle/tower, enabled the households to defend themselves against any attack.

2312/02/16

Architectural Features: Typical House• Al-Haramlek holds the typical characteristics of

traditional Arabian courtyard house.• Its ground floor includes a living room, a bedroom, a kitchen, a

storage, and a bathroom, all around the courtyard which has a staircase leading to roof which has parents’ bedroom and direct access to the Castle/tower through a bridge flying over the main entrance.

2412/02/16

Architectural Features: Typical House• The Castel/Tower is 2 story building accessed from

the backyard and the roof.

2512/02/16

Architectural Features: Typical House• The Castel/Tower has narrow windows and

shooting openings called “al-Qattalah” or “the killer”, which decorate the parapet.

2612/02/16

Upper Floor

Ground Floor

2712/02/16

Response to Security Need: Urban Scale• Stone defense wall (5-10 m high) around the town

since Babylonian era (various walls throughout history).

• Surveillance towers outside the wall for distant monitoring.

• Fortified palaces adjacent to the wall for more protection.

• Division of town into villages then wards/clusters (souqes) on a clan basis promoted close and secure relationships and supported adherence and maintained sense of unity (formed platform of coordinated defensive system among residents).

2812/02/16

Response to Security Need: Urban Scale• Visual and physical articulation of pathways leading

to main settlements, forming a maze, made it difficult for strangers to find their way in cluster.

• No central public activities• Commercial/product exchange in houses• Local mosque within ward’s wall.

2912/02/16

Response to Security Need: Urban Scale

• Attachment of gardens/farms to houses provided a way to escape in case of defeat.

3012/02/16

Response to Security Need: Architectural Scale• One sector

(castle/tower) of the house was built for defense (accommodating shooting rooms)• Emphasized with architectural

details and height (8 m), comparing to the simple al-Haramlek.

• Several narrow vertical windows strengthened the position of the defender.

• Shooting openings, al-Qattalah (the killer) decorated the Castle parapet in all sides.

3112/02/16

Response to Security Need: Architectural Scale• Direct connection of the Castle to al-Haramlek

then the farm promoted quick and secured movement.

3212/02/16

Summary & Conclusion• Unlike Medievale Europe's walled and fortified settlements (e.g. in

Bulgaria, Greece and Scotland),the geometrical fortifications of early modern era, and the concrete-and-steel 20 Century castles, Taima's traditional urban and architectural defensive system looks radically different. Dissimilar to massive stone walls built by military forces or by professional engineers, walls in Taima, except the Babylonian wall, had been constructed of mud by ordinary inhabitants. Most residents such as farmers, traders, women, and children, had participated in building the town defensive system and used the same construction materials and techniques prompted in building their houses. As a result, the defensive system both at the urban scale as well as the architectural scales appears to be in harmony with the town's spontaneous pattern language.

12/02/16

Thank you for listening!hmortada@kau.edu.sa