Abstract
The historical residential area of Kōm ad–Dikka in Alexandria has experienced morphological transformation from the ancient era until the present. Each historical period had a physical impact on the city’s urban structure that in turn struggled to survive the successive one with its different urban conception. However, the sinuous streets of this area, which probably date back to the late Egyptian Medieval period, are characterized as being the only surviving organic fabric intra–muros that was not altered during the Egyptian Modern period. In the absence of scientific publications regarding the history of Kōm ad–Dikka, this paper elaborately investigated its chronological history since the ancient era until the mid-twentieth century. Based on an in-depth investigation of historical maps and memoirs, this paper revealed the possible reasons behind the area’s extant sinuous urban form and postulated reconstructions of its urban morphology through sequential phases.
Highlights
Until the 1950s, Kōm ad–Dikka [1] consisted of two adjacent mounds: The western mound with the Crétin Fort where the Greco–Roman archaeological site was unearthed underneath, and the eastern mound where the historical neighborhood still stands [2]
There have been multiple publications regarding the rich urban and architectural heritage of the Turkish Town, no scientific research was undertaken regarding the documentation of the history of Kōm ad–Dikka
The historical investigation of Kōm ad–Dikka is the pivotal subject of this paper and is explored based on credible primary sources
Summary
Until the 1950s, Kōm ad–Dikka [1] consisted of two adjacent mounds: The western mound with the Crétin Fort where the Greco–Roman archaeological site was unearthed underneath, and the eastern mound where the historical neighborhood still stands [2]. This neighborhood is the main topic of this paper. The irregular and organic street structure of this neighborhood, with its small parceled late Ottoman buildings, is predominantly similar to those of the so-called Turkish Town [3]. There have been multiple publications regarding the rich urban and architectural heritage of the Turkish Town, no scientific research was undertaken regarding the documentation of the history of Kōm ad–Dikka
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