Abdulbaset Elfeturi

The theme of traditional cities in urban design studies has rarely penetrated beyond a fascination with aesthetic character and architectural attractiveness; whereas other fundamental attributes of these cities have not yet been scrutinised. There are problems in understanding whether the notions like architectural quality or memories of the past create the integrity of traditional urban patterns, or whether the spatial organisation of the city itself conveys the rationale behind the behaviour of the city, independent from - or along with - other factors. Therefore, there are many questions to be asked such as: are there rules for growth of the organic urban fabric? What is the logic behind the spatial configuration of traditional cities? And how does the urban form of the traditional city meet its functional and socio-cultural requirements? This research will try to answer these questions by adopting the case study method in order to analyse and investigate the urban form of Tripoli Old City as one of the oldest cities in the world that still retains some of its authenticity. An attempt will be made in order to establish a relationship between urban form and socio-cultural values and ultimately, to give physical manifestation to that relationships.