Author(s)

M. El Basyoni

Abstract

In our contemporary life, the Islamic waqf funds represent a great percentage of the societal wealth in a number of Islamic countries. The idea of Islamic waqf represents an important principle in the development of non-governmental sectors, which aims at the public benefit and socio-economic development. The legal meaning of waqf is the retention of a specific thing in trust and the devotion of its profit or products in charity to the poor or other good objectives, it is the permanent dedication by a Muslim of any property for any purpose recognized under the Muslim law as being religious, pious or charitable. The relationship between the waqf, architecture and urbanism is a very old and effective relationship in Islamic cities and plays an important role in achieving a good urban environment and providing user needs with a high degree of efficiency. Since the funds derived from waqf interest should be spent on maintaining historical monuments a great many have withstood the test of time, despite the passing of many years. However, nowadays waqf has become less popular among Muslim societies; waqf properties have been neglected and no longer serve the cultural needs. This paper attempts to clarify the historical relationship between waqf and architecture, in indicating how waqf plays an active role in achieving various stages of architectural theories in protecting the existence of the architecture of waqf buildings, thus achieving a proper urban environment. The role of waqf has undergone revitalization in the field of architecture through the revival of its role in various aspects of life and putting forward proposals to maintain monuments through activating waqf on public buildings. Keywords: waqf, architecture, Islamic city, monuments, public buildings.

Keywords

waqf, architecture, Islamic city, monuments, public buildings