THE CITY - Genesis of urban and architectural form

THE CITY - Genesis of urban and architectural form

Historical cores of cities were formed, primarily due to favorable or specific geographical position, as nodal places, where trade routes and natural resources intersect. Historical, stylistic features are subordinate forces in the shaping of architecture and space. They are a merger of pre-existing vernacular architecture, available materials, lifestyle, as well as expression of the development of culture and civilization, and accordingly manifest themselves in built structures - from a residential house to the urban fabric. On the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Ottomans established an oriental type of city, characterized by the principle of functional separation of the craft and business zone (čaršija) and residential zones (mahala). The spatial organization of Ottoman cities was shaped by feudal social relations, religious and family customs, and the relationship between family / private (neighborhoods - family, neighbors, friends, nature) and public/business (bazaar - crafts, trade, communication, culture). 

The urban and architectural typology developed through two key factors (Kostof, 1991): 1. urban process that shapes the city space (through social order, religious and economic influences) and 2. architectural form which is then produced by transposition of Ottoman architecture in Bosnia and Herzegovina with significant contribution of local influences and available materials. In general, the architecture of mahalas and bazaars (shops) was created by multiplying and transforming the basic simple model, which was again adapted to the needs and conditions, which is a characteristic of Islamic cities worldwide. In addition to the basic units, more monumental sacral and profane structures are being built, which provide a clear spatial, functional and visual hierarchy. Such a model of development is described through a simple scheme: Material + Structure = Typology + Multiplication = Territory / City (s) = Civilization (Petruccioli, 2007)

Precisely such seeming simplicity enables a very clear and legible image of the city, orientation in space, codification of architecture and identity.

From universal to special/regional

Urban ensembles in Bosnia and Herzegovina created under the Ottoman influence, although very carefully planned, inherently contained empirical knowledge of space, by repetition of a universal model of urban and architectural elements, specifically adapted to new morphological and climatic conditions. This development turned the cities into harmonious entities, each immersed into a specific environment (for example, Počitelj, Vranduk), with architecture that was of human scale and needs. Within this system, there were larger, monumental buildings that served as functional and visual reference points, thus forming an image of a city that is connected and interwoven with Islamic religious principles, but at the same time focused on creating humane living conditions.

This universal principle was then adapted to specific environmental conditions, creating familiar but also unique urban spaces. The architectural typology was primarily based on vernacular traditions, with ottoman influences in layout and visual features.

In Herzegovina, the typology relies on stone structures, adapted to warmer climates, from houses with open and semi-open galleries (divanhana), stone shops in the Bazaar, and stone monumental structures of mosques, hammams, bridges. Cities were formed on rivers (Mostar, Stolac), acting as the backbone of the urban tissue, connecting it as a whole - interwoven with numerous water canals and mills. Of the Herzegovinian cities, Mostar is the most significant urban center of the region, where the connection between the city and water (Neretva and Radobolja) is expressed through a system of streets that run parallel to both rivers, crowned at the point of confluence with the magnificent structure of The Old Bridge (built  1566), making this urban composition truly unique. South of Mostar there is another urban structure - Počitelj, which seems like an amphitheater, a stone stage from which medieval fortifications, stone houses, a monumental dome and the minaret of Hadži Alija's mosque emerge.

The architectural typology in central and northern Bosnia is based on the rich tradition of building in wood, which with colder climatic conditions imposes a building structure suited to the environment (Jajce, Travnik). The town of Jajce is surrounded by medieval walls, its strong and sharp roof volumes speak of a specific adaptation - typical of the northern harsher bioclimatic conditions.

Sarajevo, as the largest city, was the center of government and economic activity, with the largest trade and craft zone – bazaar. At its peak, the extent of čaršija is larger than we can witness today. The city was formed as a central type (in relation to today's extremely longitudinal character), with a focus on the bazaar, which consisted of rows of shops and monumental structures such as mosques, madrasas, bezistans, inns and other buildings. Sarajevo as an urban entity experienced its greatest prosperity during the 16th and 17th centuries, together with historical trends within the Ottoman Empire.

The neighborhoods in Sarajevo have left a strong mark on the appearance of the city itself and are the subject of extensive research due to the specifics of architecture, an interplay of houses, courtyards and gardens. The essence of the existence and vitality of mahalas rests, upon best described as “dwelling” (Heidegger, 1954) and strong social cohesion. Our mental and emotional image of the mahala is sets of residential buildings (very often idealized), in harmony with the environment. The urban tissue of the neighborhood has smaller or larger focal points (mosques) and minarets as visual accents in the image of the city, that in a specific way form the scope of the neighborhoods.  The street system is actually subordinated to the housing function, and as it weaves into the mahalas the streets get narrower, as a form of introduction into the intimate space of the house. The basic urban unit that defines mahalas/residential areas is a house in all its forms: from traditional to informal/modest construction, and luxurious housing units such as Svrzo House.

Lessons learned and the future

What stands out as the overall image of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina is a deep and primordial connection between people, spatial features, and functionality of each urban environment. The ottoman civilization understood the importance of infrastructure, water-supply networks, streets and roads, missing in our current implementation while building space. A Place is treated as a void that needs to be filled with yet another high-rise. 

The principle of universality and adaptation of form can be found in every individual structure that makes up a city, one house is a small town with sequences of intimate and private space, as well as every shop that had an outdoor exhibition space and an internal area for storing goods.

From the Ottoman period until today, the historical cores of cities have undergone significant transformations, additions, and degradations, but the basic urban matrix is clearly legible and recognizable, and dominantly defines the identity of each present city. It is also possible to talk about the authenticity of this tissue with an understanding of a broader definition of authenticity consisting of material remains way of life, social cohesion, sedimentation of historical layers, and continuity of function, form, or idea.

It is only possible, to perceive the cities created in the Ottoman period from today's perspective when we talk intensively about sustainable growth and development of cities in accordance with spatial capacity, functionality, and green architecture. All this was already an integral part of historic cities, and especially oriental ones, due to the humane scale and connection with the environment, greenery, and water that was woven into the fabric of the city. Given the above, we can say that the Ottoman cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina contain a universal lesson for contemporary architecture, which includes current concepts of responsible construction, sustainability, and bioclimatic architecture, as well as the principles of functionalism and flexibility, confirmed by active and continuous use of all historic structures, as well as the interest of architects in traditional forms and processes through modern regionalist concepts.

References:

1. Heidegger & Hofstadter, M. t. b. A. (1971) (original 1954), Building, Dwelling, Thinking in Poetry, Language, Thought, New York: Harper&Row.

2. Kostof, S. (1991), City Shaped: Urban Patterns and Meanings Through History, London: Thames and Hudson.

3. Petrucccioli A. (2007),  After Amnesia: learning from the Islamic Mediterranean Urban Fabric. Charlottesville: ICAR, University of Virginia.