The Ideal Arab House from the Literary Perspective: Al-Ghazuli as a Model

Abstract

This study aims to uncover the historical conception of the ideal house in Arab-Islamic thought by analyzing literary sources, with a primary focus on Al-Ghuzuli’s "Matali' Al-Budur wa Manazil Al-Surur" (The Rising of the Full Moons and the Mansions of Joy). Employing a historical-analytical methodology, the research traces the specifications of the ideal house as manifested in classical heritage texts.

The findings reveal that the Arab conceptualization of the ideal house was formed around two fundamental axes: the spatial, concerning its location, and the architectural, concerning its design and structure. On the spatial level, the elite preferred residing on city outskirts as a strategic choice reflecting their social status, while maintaining a balance between seclusion and connectivity through location on main thoroughfares and proximity to water sources and markets.

Architecturally, the primacy of privacy was evident in designs featuring multiple entrances and the avoidance of overlooking windows. The courtyard (sahn) emerged as a multifunctional space integrating economic, social, and environmental dimensions. The study also demonstrates a meticulous concern for the quality of building materials and the incorporation of symbolic dimensions, such as inscribed motifs and popular beliefs, into the architectural design.

The study concludes that the specifications of the ideal house constituted a cohesive value system, embodying the philosophical vision of Arab-Islamic architecture that harmonized utility with aesthetics, and function with symbol. This system expressed the interplay between material requirements and spiritual needs within traditional Arab-Islamic society.