The development of the domestic interior in Makkah, Saudi Arabia :from the traditional to the modern way of living

Abstract

Arab architecture has, through the ages, been a reflection of the environment and the characteristics of the civilization in which it appeared. Civilizations, in which the Arab architecture flourished, were the result of religious, social, cultural, political and physical interaction. These factors gave each society its distinguishing features that differed from age to age and place to place. Arab architecture has participated in expressing the relationship between man and nature. This can be seen in many examples of Arab architecture and it is clear in the Arab house that most of its elements were characterized by the harmonious relationship with natural settings externally, and internally by the organic relationship between the spatial layout and the lifestyle of the inhabitants. There are special features that distinguish Arab architecture from other styles of architecture around the world, for example its simple form and usage of local materials, with geometric decoration and calligraphy, also the effective control of natural forces through climatic modifications. Above all, the Arab house became the embodiment of Muslim values in built form.