Historical and cultural landscape of the Ancient Villages of Northern Syria

Abstract

Abstract: The article presents a view of the issue of interactions between space and landscape architecture, judging from the position that these interactions are determined by cultural peculiarities as well as specific features of nature and landscape in the region. Taking into consideration the above-mentioned, it can be stated that a principal distinc -tion between proper architecture and landscape architecture as its component simply does not exist. The phenom-enon of a historically created cultural landscape has been discussed, where there are no borders between landscape and architecture, i. e. architecture has blended with the landscape and should be seen as a comprehensive whole. Keywords: architectural environment, natural surroundings, cultural landscape, Ancient villages of Northern Syria. Architecture as the art of space formation for human activity is tightly connected with environment, and the latter has its origin in natural surroundings. To prove the above, a statement by Le Corbusier can be cited: “An area that consists of a space and unevenness of the ground, water surface, rocks and sky, dressed in grass and forests, with various perspectives or an open even horizon is food for mind which is provided by our eyes to our sensual and emotional perception as well as our intellect. An area is the initial base for any architectural composition” [1, 213–276]. At the same time Le Corbusier argues that an architectural structure must absorb the landscape and make it its integral part [1, 213–276].A historically created cultural landscape is a phenomenon in which the boundaries between the landscape and architecture are erased, i. e. architecture has blended with the landscape and formed a single unity with it. These relict landscape areas outside megalopolises play an important role in displaying harmonious relation between the human and environment. In view of the pressing need to preserve the national heritage of Arab countries the notion of the historical and cultural landscape as a specific category of cultural heritage objects becomes crucial.