This is a study in vernacular architecture covering the Middle East and North Africa, particularly concentrating on the interaction between religion and society on the one hand and building practice and city planning on the other. Using various sources, some of which date back to the fourteenth century, the author convincingly contends that building and urban development accomplished within the Arabic-Islamic cultural framework achieved a high level of sophistication.

First published in 1989. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.