Touring abandoned ruins is one of my favourite activities. I enjoy visiting the places at intervals to observe these amazing storytelling locations and structures.
Some ruins have been destroyed, others were razed by the weather or have been incorporated within urban development, and some others have been plastered and restored.
The inspiration for this article sprang from reading a beautifully elaborated brochure detailing material found on Earth. The brochure's ingenuity, along with its engaging, captivating, and solid content, prompted me to go for a short run amid the ruins I've visited in the past.
The approach to mini stories and embracing imperfections rang a bell in my head. Employing an attempt towards raw authenticity over crafted facades, I started paying closer attention to shapes, colours, methods, and the combination of natural elements.
I observed the amazing display of designs and forms over mountains and the intriguing makeup between rocks and water. Nature provides the most wide-ranging types of information. It is in front of our eyes; it is just waiting for whoever wants to see it; unfortunately, young and old people with their heads bent down on smartphones posting selfies may barely notice the beauty around them.
The imperfections within nature are so stunning that they turn out to be perfect for the eyes that can see; yes, because there are those eyes that can look but cannot see, ears that can hear but are unable to listen, and hearts that pulse but cannot feel. The natural blend of colours, shapes, light, and environmental sounds creates a sense that we live in heaven on Earth.
Then, like a wakeup call, the old traditional Arab houses, known as Dar or Bayt in Arabic, stirred my thoughts about their deep cultural significance. They are more than architectural structures; they represent the challenges of traditional practices, imagination, and identity.
Their distinctive features, including layouts that provide ventilation, natural light, and intricate designs on walls and ceilings, are robust narratives. The drawings, calligraphy, and paintings above the doors and walls are geometry in art with designs and patterns that we seldom pay attention to.
Lights and shadows through windows (mashrabiya) and doors play a dynamic of secrecy while allowing airflow. The interior of the old traditional Arab houses is fascinating, resembling a world of magic and elegance — the romance of nature in architecture! They were designed to be cool and shaded in the summer. The integration of small gardens, as seen in some restored ruins, gives a sense of connection with nature.
The conventional Arabian Gulf house style reflects the region’s cultural heritage. It tells stories of tradition. To understand the work involved in the construction of Arab houses is to showcase the elements from different regions, climatical conditions, and topography.
The houses were built with whatever material was locally available. Builders used wind for ventilation, water wheels for irrigation, astronomy, a compass to set plans, chisels to cut stones, wood, and geometry for construction. These were some of the early Arab influences on modern inventions.
We are losing The House of Wisdom as time goes on. The translated content of philosophy, mathematics, and science manuscripts is being sidelined for less relevant material widely available on social media. We can hardly foresee another Muhammad ibn Musa al Khwarizmi emerging. Famous for his mathematical and cosmological works, he introduced the concept of the number zero, which was used for nearly 250 years throughout the Islamic world before Europe. The words algorithm and algebra come from his name.
There has been much talk lately about sustainable solutions and preserving ecosystems; however, they have always existed. Modernity and technological improvement have brought comfort, yet major developments and techniques have been inherited. We are in debt to Arab science and its great achievements.
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