Islamic architecture as a reflection of functionalism and interactionism: conceptual origins in culture and sociology

Abstract

What kind of society does Islamic architecture reflect? What are the basic units and forms of Islamic society associated with Islamic architecture, and what kinds of relationships existed among its individuals? Is Islamic society a ‘uniform society’ or a ‘multi-layered society’? These fundamental questions are at the centre of this study. This paper explores the basic intellectual, social and environmental aspects that have shaped Islamic architecture. It explores these aspects as reflected in the building forms of Muslim societies. Functionalism and interactionism are two major schools of modern sociology. As a social phenomenon, Islamic architecture is examined in the light of these two schools. The urban fabric of the traditional Islamic city as an example of functionalism in architecture is examined with reference to the ruined city of Sāmarrāʾ, in Iraq; and examples of Ottoman architecture are considered as models of interactionism in city planning and architecture. The works of three major figures in contemporary Arab thought, Muḥammad Abed Al-Jabri and ʿAbdullah Al-ʿArawī from Morocco, and Mohammad Al-Anṣārī from Bahrain, are considered in this paper. Their thoughts and views are used as vehicles to test some innate features of Islamic architecture. The influence of language and the desert, two exceptionally important factors that have shaped the culture of Muslim societies and its manifestation in architecture, is also explored. The findings of this paper, although still at a preliminary stage, reiterate the major concepts of the medieval Arab scholar Ibn Khaldūn, in his Muqaddimah, in an architectural context.