islamic city structure
I found it really interesting to read about the regulations that these cities set up to intensify privacy and segregation. i.e. the placement of windows, height of adjacent buildings (177) These rules also formed responsibilities for the neighborhood to protect and secure one another's privacy. The separation of gender becomes apparent when reading Abu-Lughod's account of lattace screening, etc. The dychotomy of public and private space is probably the central idea in developing islamic cities. I enjoyed thinking of the neighborhood as an extension of private space for women, while the marketplaces and other public arenas was an enforced male territory. Yes, religion was part of the reason that these modifications were made, however, institutions like the state government enforced and enabled these customs to be carried on not by just the Umma, but for everyone.