Private and Public Spaces in the Middle East: Urban Contaminations

Abstract

The origin of public space in the Middle East is quite recent, and it is the result of an attempt of modernization from the Ottoman era through the European colonization. The original settlements originated following the Sharia Law, with a strong private approach to the citizens life. Souqs and Mosques were the only semi-public spaces. French and British colonization drastically changed not only the urban morphology but influenced the local culture introducing the concept of socialization. Beirut, historical city with different layers of urban stratifications, is an example of this contamination, maybe the most interesting among the Middle Eastern cities, with its iconic Martyrs’ Square and its transformations. On the other side, Dubai is a new modern and planned city, which is only fifty years old, where many urban theories have been applied, but without solving the contradictions of the capitalistic city, where the public spaces are divided by social classes, without a real integration of the different kind of residents. Within this context, this chapter investigates how public spaces are used and how they can be used as private or public, as well how urban contamination can assume a negative impact in the urban morphology and in the society.