Recognition of Identity Criteria of Traditional Housing in View of the Quran and the Infallibles (AS)
Subject Areas :
1 - Tarbiat Modares University
Keywords: Islamic Identity Quran verses the Infallibles (SA) traditional housing character,
Abstract :
Traditional houses were constructed based upon the religious beliefs of residents and the traditional architecture applied Quran and Sunnah in architecture and city planning. Therefore, the traditionally-built houses are always infused with a religious spirit. The paper has been inspired by the following question: What is the relationship between Islamic identity and traditional housing? According to Quranic tenets and the Infallibles’ (AS) sayings on house and residence, the characteristics of Islamic identity and the relationship among them can be recognized through criteria of Islamic identity. The present paper is a field study founded upon a historical-descriptive-analytical research method and that its data has been collected via a library research method by studying hard and soft documents. The results of the research indicate that the religious identity of traditional housing can be categorized into three distinct criteria- structural, environmental, and semantic. The three criteria are inseparable and overlap one another. It means that the characteristics of religious identity first become known in structure. Then they are fortified in the environment and finally reach a lofty status through semantic relations. This paper also sheds light on issues pertinent to recreation of Islamic identity in contemporary housing taking traditional housing’s identity features into account.