Analysis of Morphological Changes in Historical Cities (Al-Ashar City Case Study)

Abstract

The morphological studies of historical cities, which are concerned with analyzing the changes in the urban fabric over different periods, have great importance because they have two indicators, the first one is humanity, related to the city’s identity, personality, and affiliation, the second one is spatial, represented in buildings of architectural and heritage value that reflect the cultural identity of the city, as the Studying and analyzing changes across the different morphological stages of the historical city, and studying the changes taking place in land uses within the urban fabric, seeking to develop solutions that elevate the reality of old buildings with architectural value through conservation and urban renewal processes, to preserve historical and cultural values. In addition to improving the level of planning for the city as a whole in terms of services, land uses, and activities in a way that makes it sustainable to live in and that meets the needs of the population. Therefore, the research shed light on the study and analysis of the morphological changes that occurred across different periods, and the historical city of (Al-Ashar) was chosen as model for the study, which is one of the river cities located within the city of Basra, and it was relied on to reach the research outputs on the method of descriptive analysis. Gathering the necessary information about the study area, maps and field visits, then coming up with the results related to the research problem, and then setting the most important directives with the aim of developing and preserving the city because it represents a cultural and historical wealth and an important economic resource at the local and national levels of the city.