Alckas: The urban pattern of a traditional settlement in south-western Saudi Arabia

Newly published research on Muslim culture, behaviour, regional and interurban migration, religion and history suggests the emergence of new patterns in the analysis of Muslim villages, towns and cities. This article seeks to illustrate some of these trends, using the ancient settlement of Alckas in southwestern Saudi Arabia as an example. It was long thought, because settlements such as Alckas were not characterized by major institutional structures, and because there existed no detailed written record of planning decisions and policies related to them, that there was not much to be gained from the study of their urban form. In fact, the situation is quite the reverse. As Alckas reveals, such traditional Muslim settlements were characterized by highly developed systems of physical form, governed by well-developed institutions for managing both the built and natural environments. Ironically, it is the very crystalline nature of this system that has created problems today. Saudi Arabia's political unificat...