: Revival of Traditional Architecture in Old Cities – Aleppo, the oldest inhabited city in the world as an example
Abstract
The term “Sustainability” is undoubtedly not innovative or new; it is an idea that has been implemented and expressed in the traditional architecture of several regions in the world through the harmony between buildings and the surrounding environment and the good utilization of natural recourses, which has evolved throughout the years through trial and error. At a certain point, city centers such as Aleppo turned into active places for tourism, trade and economics, and a lot of people relocated to modern housing at the west side of the city, hence there was a need to develop traditional houses and their facilities in a way that corresponds to modern life style.
This paper examines a case study of a traditional house that goes back to the eighteenth century, which was converted into a well-appointed hotel that allows its guests to relive the past in a modern context. The paper studies the traditional housing’s social and psychological perspective, as well as its architecture and functionality that had been influenced by the customs and traditions of the city. Additionally, the paper aims to enrich the universal practice of restoring heritage and traditions as a form of sustainability in traditional architecture, and illustrates the compound correlation between man and environment as a result of the modern evolution of societies, hence portraying sustainability in its various forms.
Keywords: Sustainability, Traditional housing, Environment, Heritage, Societies
Publish with: The Journal of American Science
ISSN 1545-1003 (Paper) ISSN (Online) 2375-7264
Vo11.Special Issue 1, 25, 2015