RAMPUR CITY I t s I s l a m i c C o n c e p t

By : Nomaan Khan M.Arch U.R Semister 1

MAR-152 Theory : Indigenous Urbanism

The Main Mosque It is supposed to be located at the heart of The city. If not the geographical heart of it will be found at the cultural or economic heart of the city . A place where the weekly Friday prayers are supposed to held. Usually surrounded by suqs (markets).

• Old Palace Complex

• Peepal Tola New Ganj

• Jama Masjid

• Abbas Market

SUQS (Markets)

Located outside the main mosque provided with the economic activity of the town. Likewise the main markets of rampur city are located on the surrounding roads of the Jama Masjid and the Palace complex.

Marked in green are the important market streets of town also housing the famous chakoo market (rampuri knife market)

Citadel : Casbah

The palace of the governor the citadel was surrounded by its own walls consist of the royal palace, offices, courts usually located on high part of town or adjacent to the main mosque. In Rampur’s case the citadel constitutes of the Palace, offices and a imambara. The citadel here is located adjacent to the Jama Masjid and builds a more dominant city heart.

Hamid Manzil now Raza Library: Was the royal palace for the nawabs of Rampur later after july 1949 when the princely state merged with the republic of India the palce was converted into a library containing old manuscripts from the royal collection

District old court and offices

Imambara

Madarsa: Adjoining the Jama Masjid was this structure used for teaching practices

Red Boundary shows the extend of the walled citadel

Streets and Residential Closeness

Connecting between residential quarters are streets usually narrow as to maintain closeness. The streets are random and not straight. These all network was formed as to strengthen personal ties, common interests and moral equity. Old Rampur settlements can also be seen as dense clusters assimilated economically and socially. This was highly emphasised by the hadith “O people, verily your lord and sustainer is one and your ancestor is one … there is no superiority of a white man over a black man or a black man over a white man except the superiority gained through God-Consciousness(taqwa)”.

Streets highlighted in white to show randomness in movement and form

Google earth images of thana ganj one of the oldest settlements of Rampur

Walled City

A well defined wall surrounded the city with a number of gates. The gates are still evident in the city with their names as modern landmarks.

Bilaspur Gate Pahadi Gate: towards Nainital

Barellie Gate Shahabad Gate: Towards Nawab Railway Station

Hazratpur Gate Old Fort Nawab Gate: Royal entry to old fort from new fort (Kothi Khaas Bagh)

References

• Introduction to Islamic City :: Morphological Components of Muslim City:

By Rabah Saoud BA, M’Phil, PhD

• Islamic City Concepts by Ahmed Raad