A presentation on the cities and their design principles.

Urban design chapter-2

THE HINDU CITY

What are traditional hindu cities?

RIG VEDA
SAM VEDA
YAJUR VEDA
ATHAR VEDA.

Mayamata, Manasara, Bishvakarma-vaastushastra,

samarangansutradhara, aparajitha- Priccha
Manasollasa, Prasadamandanada, Shilparamama etc
Are treatise on Architecture based on Vedic Hymns
There are innumerable references in RIGVEDA which indicate
very advances vastu shilpa.

City and its ffunctions

A traditional nagara(city) is one where the sacred and
the secular mingle.
Temples- the link between Cosmic and Huma (worship)
Cultural centres :festive and ritual activities
Education : pathashalla
Social lofe- public meetings and social gatherings
Significant part in economy of village donations goes
for the nagara development and employments
Mathas monastic centre of Education ad pilgrim Rest
house.

City in Literary and Epic Narratives

Sanskrit Epics
- Ramayana; Ayodhya and Srilanka- advanced stage of
city life
- -Mahabharata
- Tmail epic poesm
- Silappadigaram- city of technical order- vibrant
wealthy and a hetrogeneous city.
- Manimegalai.
- Kautilya Arthashastra; A treatise on statecraft and
polit image of a well planned city where people of
diverse occupations interact, although within the
given framework.

City as a site of Liberation and Alienation

City rvides locale for pusuit and fulfilment of four aims
of life- Purushartas
Dharma- Duty, righteousness, morality
Karma- Pleasure
Artha- Wealth
Moksha- Liberation
In some brahmanical texts, the city is also seen as a
place to be avoidd (apastamba) Dharmasutra, as the
quest for liberation is impossible in a city.
The Bauddhayana declares that it is impossible for the
one to obtain salvation, who lives in town covered with
dust.

Town Planning
Sthapaty Veda Layout of a city
Smrithi Shastra Street Layouts (micro and Macro)
Vaastu Shastra- treatises on Architecure planning and
construction and Design, Matters relate to site
selection site planning and orientation quality of soil
water resources, planting of trees and graves.
Arthashastra-Environmental Management
Manasara shaipla shastra- Grama Vidhana and Nagara
Vidhana
Mayamat
Vishwakarma.
A traditional city is designed to the principles of
sacred geometre was based on cosmological theories
of Vaastu pusush Mandal.

Vaastu shastra recommends five shapes of a town

Chandura : A square
Agatara Rectangle
Vritta Circle
Kritta Vritta Elliptical
Glolla Vritta- Full circle.

Kautilyas Arthashastra
Is considered to be a
comprehensive treaty and
addresses those entire essential
fundamentss aspecific to the
practices of design and
developments of human
settlements

Town planning
Shilpashastras
These Refer to four distinct categories of habitations
settlements
Janabhavanas- Houses for common Mass
Rajbhavanas palaces and gorgeous mansions for
ruling class
Devabhavanas Religious Shrines
The public buildings such as public rest house, public
gardens, public librarie, reservois, wells
These shastras donot put emphasis upon the secular
Architecture i.e the Janabhavanas
Manasara, Mayamata and Visvakarma Prakara laid
emphassis on planninf and architecure of
Janabhavanas
Samaranaganasutradhara

Town planning
Allocation based on varnasharma
dharma or the idea of social and
spiritual order.
The sanskrot word varnasharma is
formed by varna and asrama
Which are 4 in each kind
Varnas (Social order or caste )
Brahamana- intellectual class
Kshatriya- Admiistrative or Ruling
Class
Vaisya- Business Class
Sudra- Working Class
Ashrama (Spiritual order of lifes
Culture)
Sanyasa- Renounced order
Vanaprastha- Intermediate stage
betweeen Grihasta and Saanyasa
Grihastha- An ideal married
person, who contributes most to
society
Brahmachary- Acelibate does
Academic learning under a
bonafide guru.

Vaastu Shastra and Urban Design

Nagara VidhanaGrid-iron pattern : Main Streets.
Primary, scondary, teritiary layout.
Street with green plant borders.
Pedestrain footpath betweent street and green belt
Juntion of main axis Brahmastanca
Public space- public accessibiltiy- public building
Discard land that has depression in the middle area
corresponding to brahmastana.
Mixed ude on main streets .
The streets that run around the layout can have
buildings on one side. These buildings can relate to
schools, colleges public libraries, offices, guest
houses.
The smaller streets can have residential buildings on
both sides. Each segments or block can have uniform
height and appearance.
People of similar proffessions, age, group, health can
be housed in same quarters
Creamatoriums are placed outside the layout mandala

-Samarangana Sutradhara
Recomeenda 34 roads in a model town running for e- &
n-s
Importance of gardens (mentions a belt of trees and
plants surrounding town)
Banyan tree recommended in a centre of town serving
for a council hall
Udak (source of water)
Most essentially primary elemnts of nature
Source of life
Trading routes (sea shore and rivers)
The drains and sewers are sloped towards east and
North
Manasara
Town based on plans ranging from pechaka (plan of 4
square ) to asana (plan of 100 square )
It speaks of the street that is on border of the treet
(mangalaveedhi) and the street surrounds
brahmasthana
Laying out should start from NE (easanaya)
Aprosperous town is normally situated along a sea or
a river coast.

MADURAI- Temple City

The city of Madurai was originally named after
Meenakshi Temple,
Rectangular streets named after the tamil
months of aad, chithirai and maasi surround
the temple symbolizing the stucture of
cosmos.

THE ISLAMIC CITY

What are Islamic Cities?

The settlement in islam, more importantly stand for the
ground for peoples interaction with ALLAH the creator and
lord. Space, the environment , given that settlements is
where they LIVE WORK PLAY LEARN WORSHIP RISE AND
FALL.
The outcome of these and other activities which the people
engage themselves in settlements, especially urban ones, is
what we call CULTURES AND CIVILIZATIONS.

DESIGN PRINCIPLES OF ISLAMIC CITY

NATURAL LAWS:
The first principle that defined much of the character of
the Muslim city is the adaptation of the built form and plan
of the city to natural circumstances expressed through
weather conditions and topography. These were expressed in
the adoption of concepts such as courtyard, terrace, narrow covered
streets and gar dens. Such elements were designed for coping with
hot weather conditions dominating the Muslim environment.
RELIGIOUS AND CULTURAL BELIEFS:
The religious beliefs and practices formed the Centre of
cultural life for these populations, thus giving the mosque
the central position in spatial and institutional hierarchies. The
cultural beliefs separating public and private lives regulated
the spatial order between uses and areas. Thus, the town
plan consisted of narrow streets and cul-de-sacs separating
private and public domains, while the land use emphasized
the separation of male and female users. Consequently,
economic activity that involved exchange and public presence was
separated from residential (private dwellings) use and concentrated
in public areas and in the main streets.
VASTU-SHASTRA :
The street plan seems to have followed vastu shastra
text which contains directions for constructing buildings and
for laying out and dividing settlements of different kinds.

DESIGN PRINCIPLES OF ISLAMIC CITY

DESIGN PRINCIPLES STEMMED FROM SHARIA LAW:
The Muslim city also reflected the rules of Sharia (Islamic Law) in
terms of physical and social relations between public and private
realms, and between neighbors and social groups.
The privacy principle was made into a law which sets the
height of the wall above the height of a camel rider.
This as well as the laws of the property rights, for example, were all
factors determining the form of the Muslim city .
SOCIAL PRINCIPLES:
The social organization of the urban society was based on
social groupings sharing the same blood, ethnic origin and
cultural perspectives. Development was therefore directed
towards meeting these social needs especially in terms of
kinship solidarity, defense, social order and religious
practices.
Such groups included; Arabs, Moors, Jews and other groups such as
And alusians, Turkish, and Berbers as in cities of the Maghreb. These
were reflected in the concept of quarters known as Ahiaa (in the
Mashraq) or Huma (in the Maghreb) .

DESIGN PRINCIPLES OF ISLAMIC CITY

The main objectives of SHARIAH , was to preserve and
sustain
RELIGION
SELF
INTELLECT
DESCENDENTS
WEALTH AND RESOURCES
Absence of NEIGHBOURLINESS
Strong Neighbourhood Relationships
Preservation of Neighbours Rights.
Attached roof s in isfahan houses are a reflection of trust
and sollidarity among neighbours
Majlis (visitors Room) is provided in houses to strengthen
ties between Neighbours.

Laws
Built environment in muslim
cities was an outcome of
activities, that were guided
by principles of islamic law.
The lagal matrix of the
islamic law to which a public
action should refer is
establishing and undertaking
public projects and public
activities.

The Recruitment process as

a way to deconstruct the
complexity of urban fabric.
In hamamet city, Tunisa from
bottom left to top Right
1st level of sub division into
Block Lands
2nd level of subdivision of
blocks into housing units
3rd level of subdivision of
houses into rooms and
domestic spaces.

DESIGN PRINCIPLES OF ISLAMIC CITY

KEY CONSTITUENTS OF AN ISLAMIC
CITYS PHYSICAL FABRIC.
- A centrally located Friday Mosque.
-

A bazaar around it with very distinct socieconomic differentiations from centre to

the periphery.
A fortified city wall
An imposing Citadel
Intraurban almost labyrinthesque
divisions of living quarters.
Blind Alleys

- Traditional Islamic city Algeria1.

2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Mosque
Suqs
Citadel
Residentail Quarters
Street Networks
Wall
Exterior

ISLAMIC PRINCIPLES OF BUILT

ENVIRONMENT
URBAN BYELAWS:
These principles and guidelines are used by the Islamic planners
while planning cities and are also used to resolve the conflicts
between people relating to construction and land ownership and
usage.
Harm: the spirit is that one should exercise ones full rights on
whatever is duly his, provided that his action will not do any harm to
others.
Privacy: literally it refers to personal clothing and private area of
the house. It also refers to the privacy of communication. The
privacy of others must be respected and its invasion is prohibited,
e.g. via direct visual corridors into private domain of others.
Rights of usage: this principle is used in resolving conflicts related
to ownership and rights of party walls, location of windows, doors,
etc
Width of streets: a public street should have a minimum width of
7 cubits(3.23m 3.50m). The basis of this width is to allow to fully
loaded camels to pass. It is preferred that the height be also 7
cubits (3.23m 3.50m) as this corresponds to the maximum vertical
height of the camel with highest load
Any public street should not be obstructed by temporary or
permanent obstructions.
Water should not be barred from others: people must share
water, and the owner must give to others any surplus water he has
for drinking or irrigation. This principle resulted in public water
fountains in the streets of Islamic cities.

ISLAMIC PRINCIPLES OF BUILT

ENVIRONMENT

The right of usage of exterior setbacks belong to the

owner of the house or building which abuts it.
Sources of unpleasant smell, and uses that generate noise
should not be located adjacent to or near masjids: this
principle influenced the layout of the souq (market) which was
built typically adjacent to the major city mosque.

BASIC LAYOUT OF ISLAMIC CITY

THE MAIN MOSQUE:
It occupied the heart of the town and was usually surrounded
by the Suq (market). Attached to it there was the Madrassa
providing religious and scientific teaching.
SUQS:
Located outside the main mosque provided the economic
activity in the town.
Goods sold were usually spatially distributed corresponding to
their nature.
The central area was also the gathering of other public
activities such as social services, administration, trade, arts and
crafts and baths (Hammam) and hotels (Funduq and Waqala).
CITADEL:
Also known as Casbah, representing the palace of the
governor, the citadel was surrounded by its own walls and
constituted a district on its own with its own mosque, guards,
offices, and residence.
RESIDENTIAL QUARTERS:
They were described by Eikelman ( 1981) as clusters of
households of particular quality of life based on closeness (Qaraba)
which is manifested in personal ties, common interests and shared
moral unity.
They were usually dense and each quarter had its own mosque
used only for daily prayers, Quranic school (Madrassa), bakery,
shops and other first necessity objects.
They even had their own gates which were usually closed at
night after last prayers and opened early morning at early prayers

BASIC LAYOUT OF ISLAMIC CITY

STREET NETWORK:
Connecting between these quarters and to the central place was a
network of narrow winding streets consisting of public and
private and semi-private streets and cul de sacs.
(A STREET OR A PASSAGE CLOSED AT ONE END)

WALL:
A well-defended wall surrounded the town with a number of gates.
EXTERIOR:
there were the cemeteries (Muslim and Jews cemeteries), a weekly
market just outside the main gate where most animal suqs were
held in addition to private gardens and fields.

ISLAMIC PRINCIPLES OF BUILT

ENVIRONMENT

CASE STUDY- SHAHJAHANABAD