Keywords
The morphology of the city
Document Type
Original Study
Abstract
The Jewish state worked swiftly and effectively to erase and deny the Arab and Islamic past of Jerusalem, giving it a Jewish character within strategic plans at the regional level, encompassing Greater Jerusalem and the Old City. The Arabs failed to develop any plan to counter the Zionist scheme, and most Arab studies and research addressing the topic were historical, descriptive, and selective. This research examines the planning principles and urban references of Jerusalem, comparing them with other Arab and Islamic cities to refute Zionist claims regarding the origins and historical context of the holy city. The study reveals a clear convergence in morphological characteristics between Arab and Islamic cities and Jerusalem. The study addressed the negative effects of the Judaization policy in the Old City of Jerusalem. It demonstrated that the structure of Jerusalem is a holistic entity comprised of interconnected parts within a comprehensive structural system. The local rules and characteristics of spatial formation, along with their interrelationships, constitute this comprehensive system. Therefore, any isolation of any local area will affect the comprehensive system, as demonstrated by previous studies. The Judaization policy impacts the comprehensive structure and weakens the nuclei of integration within the spatial structure, leading to their overlap with nuclei of isolation. This causes the fabric to lose its structural characteristics and pushes the strong core of the city away from the Haram al-Sharif (Temple Mount), dispersing it across the spatial system as weak cores.
Recommended Citation
Ibrahim, Muamal Alaaaldeen
(2001)
"The morphology of the City of Jerusalem and the Israeli strategies to Judaize the city,"
Iraqi Journal of Architecture and Planning: Vol. 1:
Iss.
2, Article 9.
