Abstract:
Land and its physical attributes have been central to discourse on architecture and urbanism. Grounded constructs to explain urban form are consequently used to generate urban design. This paper analyzes the historic urban development of Ras al Khaima on the eastern edge of Arabia. While this Khaliji port settlement benefited from the lucrative Indian Ocean trade, it facilitated exchange of material, human and capital flows. As one of the ports along the Gulf, it witnessed the coexistence of the Persian and the Arab components. The paper reveals Khaliji urbanism as a unique typology based on secure tenure over the connecting ocean, linking diverse people with landscape and seascape ecologies. The concept of seascape urbanism is introduced as a visual complement to the existing domains of \"port\" and \"coastal\" urbanism. Through the case of Ras al Khaima, it is argued that consideration of \"identity\" in Gulf cities necessitates the revival of centrality of the ocean as a unifying geographic entity. The maritime orientation of this paper transcends the contemporary discourse on Khaliji identity from its present insularity. Future considerations of \"identity\" in Al Khaliji thus necessitate the revival of centrality of the ocean as a unifying geographic entity.
Page(s):
163-177
DOI:
DOI not available
Published:
Journal: Proceedings of the 6th Seminar on Urban and Regional Planning, Volume: 0, Issue: 0, Year: 2011