Islamic Architecture in Libya through the Writings of Geographers and Travelers between the 5th - 8th Centuries AH / 11th - 14th Centuries AD: A Study in Material Heritage

Abstract

The arts of architecture and construction represent the true mirror of any nation's heritage and its immortal past. Geographers and travelers have depicted the development enjoyed by the people of Cyrenaica and Tripolitania in the field of architectural arts during the period between the fifth to the eighth century AH / the eleventh to the fourteenth century AD, as these represent... The period of Islamic history of Libya. A period that indicates good construction and development, which we can see through many of the texts contained in their various writings. The objectives of the study lie in the following points. 1 - An attempt to dust off that ancient legacy and glorious history of Islamic architecture in Libya. 2 - Highlighting the most important features of these architectural arts as a heritage that must be preserved. 3 - Introducing these architectural arts and making them clear to young people and future generations that they constitute history that must be highlighted and preserved. 4 - Trying to highlight and preserve the architectural cultural heritage, especially the existing one. The importance of the study: It can be summarized in the following points: 1 - The role of educational institutions in preserving the heritage and history of Islamic architecture, conveying it to the minds of students and future generations, and introducing it to represent the national identity of all Libyans. 2 - Introducing the history of Islamic architecture and the stages of its development in its various forms and colours. 3 - An attempt to define and highlight the reality of the material heritage of the Libyan country and the neglect and distortion it is subjected to. The problem of the study is the attempt to answer many questions in order to introduce these architectural structures and how to preserve them. In this research paper, we have relied on the narrative historical approach and the descriptive approach in an attempt to collect information from ancient historical sources contemporary to the time period of the study in an attempt to reach the desired results of this research.