The Role of Traditional Islamic-oriented Urban Elements in the Morphology of “Old Lar City”

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Professor of Human Geography, Faculty of Earth Sciences, University of Shahid Beheshti, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

 It is possible to explain the texture of a city for a proper understanding of its physiognomy within the framework of the Gestalt school as well as a systematic approach. Thus, the investigation and analysis of each element of the city on the one hand, and how they are linked and combined in the body of the city, on the other hand, should be taken into account with regard to the essential functions. These functions include: Governmental Function: A city serves as the seat of the government and country divisions. Economic Function: Incorporating business-related services (both traditional and modern), this function emerges especially within the framework of markets and other urban spaces. Cultural-Religious Function: A city is considered as the headquarters of scientific, cultural and religious institutions. Residential Function: Density and, to some extent, an unstructured residential texture detached from commercial, governmental, and cultural-religious texture. The “central location” should also be added to the above-mentioned functions. This function demonstrates the manner of the extent of the mechanism of the city’s relations and links with its environs and the sphere of influence and attraction in relation to the other functions. It is, therefore, necessary to pay attention to the extent of the spread and the give-and-take mechanisms of the city with the sphere of influence, as well as its position in the urban, regional, supra-regional, and eventually international relations. In terms of physical texture, the top of the two hills located in the western part of the present-day city of Lar, which is in the form of a fortress, must definitely be considered as the core of the first settlement and the establishment of the small town, which gradually spread over the low eastern and southern slopes. These castles can be equated with “Khandaj”. Parallel to this natural condition, the existence of a bed of two dried up rivers resulting from the work of both nature and man, together with the water supply streams split from them to determine the boundaries of the network of passages and alleys, has led the city of Lar to deviate from the models of the “Islamic-Orient” and lack a fence along with a tower, a gate, and battlements accordingly. That is mainly because the bedrocks would serve as a ditch, making it difficult to get into the city. On the other hand, this natural and human phenomenon, consistent with the slope, has had a significant effect on the navigation of water reservoirs which are not only the most important but also the sole water supply of the city and even farms and villages. The second stage of the city growth can be found in the worn-out and narrow sets of stairs at the foot of the hills. The existence of sacred buildings, such as “Pir-e Sabz” or “Gonband-e Sabz”, and the ruined market across from it can further underscore this idea. Moreover, the neighborhood of the Jews in its vicinity, “Kohandeh”, as well as the long history of this part of the city, is an indicator of the historical link between the government and the religious minorities that overlap with the presented models. The third step can be referred to as the transitional area of the city’s growth from a spontaneous texture to a structured one with a well-arranged space organization. The formation of the “old market” along one of the main passages and the construction or modification of the Central Mosque of the city through this passage is evidence of this claim.The fourth stage, with the construction of a public square and urban elements such as a pond, the Qaisarie Market, the palace or the place for governing, the caravanserai, the Bath of Mir, etc., around the square, that are attributed to the pre-Islamic era and are all in a space solid bond, the first step was taken to organize the shaping of the city. As the core of the city has lacked any residential function and even the home of the governor of Larestan has been situated outside this space since at least about 400 years ago, the space is consistent with the “center of the commercial sector”. The next steps in the city’s physical growth are mainly owing the expansion of residential areas affected by tribal, ethnic, religious and urban development structures by various governmental institutions. Finally, it is important to note that the changes in the shape and texture of the old city of Lar are also profoundly influenced by the exogenous and endogenous forces and factors. 

Keywords


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