The 5th workshop of History Project

Date：19.February.2005　15:00-19:00
Place：Main Meeting Room, 7F, '80 Building, Ichigaya Campus, Hosei Univ.

Water Spaces in Islamic Gardens and Residences
Naoko Fukami
The Institute of Oriental Culture, University of Tokyo
In 622, Islamic religion had been founded in the Arabian Peninsula; then it had spread over central Asia and Iberian Peninsula until the 10th century. The fast spreading Islamic religion had fostered the Islamic culture among various races and cultures. Now we will look at the common ground of the Islamic culture. Water is naturally precious for the Islamic culture founded in such a dry district; water has been the representation of the power of Allah, as well as rivers has been the gift from Allah. Focusing attention on the holiness of the water, I will consider water spaces in the Islamic culture through the cities, gardens and architectures.
The Islamic cities have complicated residential areas with the labyrinthine street networks including cul-de-sacs, which may be considered as organic city, or atypical city. Although each city has different history, it should be noted that some sort of morphological similarities can be recognized in the wide area including North Africa and India of the pre-modern era. There are common elements in those cities; the city wall and gate for controlling the town, the main street extending from the gate toward the center, the market and Masjed-e Jame (Friday mosque) as the city core, Hammam (public bath), the public well, and the tiered well as public spaces in the residential area, etc. Cul-de-sacs had been formed around these public spaces, which might be the origin of a courtyard house. Typically, the residence of a governor had been located at the city core in the ancient absolute monarchy; in the medieval and pre-modern cities, many palaces were built in city fringes, which might be affected by the policies of nomadic rulers such as Turk or Mongolian. The water control measures including the port, weir, bridge, collecting water and waterworks were most important responsibilities of such rulers.
Now we will consider the reason why the Islamic cities had been maintained securely for so long period over wide areas. Firstly, the natural environment peculiar to the dry district should be noted. Secondly, we should consider historical background that the medieval and pre-modern era were relatively stable period. Thirdly, the relationship between the Establishments as urban administrators and citizens as beneficiaries, and the global networks established by Islamic wakuf system and merchants, contributed to transmit technologies and esthetic preferences over such wide areas.
The garden in the Islamic world offers both artificial and comfortable natural space. In the harsh environment of the arid zone, the Islamic greenery gardens have been mild and artificial representation of the nature as an ideal space, based on the image of Koranic paradise. Unlike the city with an organic form, the garden is encircled; which implies the image of paradise. The garden can be divided into several types, including "char baug" (four-quadrant garden) and its variations, tiered gardens, etc. The square-shaped four-quadrant garden has crisscross canal irrigation, supplying water efficiently. Within the garden, trees, bushes and flowering grasses are planted, generating grateful shade, fruits and pleasant aromatic odor. Trees are the symbol of life, and green color is the symbol of the founder of the Islamic religion, Muhammad. As described above, an ideal space (as illustrated in the Koran) has been created in the Islamic garden, by controlling water and greens, in the encircled area.
Next, we will look at courtyard gardens from the viewpoint of commonality and difference, between courtyards and gardens. The courtyard is generally smaller than the garden. The function of the former is functionality, instead of the comfort of the latter. The common ground is sort of earthly paradise for the dry district. The courtyard house is suitable for the close-packed habitation in such area, offering functional habitat segregation between summer and winter seasons. The courtyard architecture can be seen not only houses and palaces, but also mosques, schools, trading houses and residential public buildings. The space of courtyard has evolved semi-outdoor spaces linking inner spaces and courtyards. In palaces, the level of importance of the place would be gradually increased from gates, through several courtyards, finally to the throne of the king. In the harem within the palace, the size of a courtyard represents the relative strength; the courtyard of the king's wedded wife is larger than those of other wives.
As described above, the characteristics of the dry zone has occupied major roles in the formation of the Islamic culture. Against the harsh natural environment, gardens have been formed as an encircled earthly paradise. The scarcity has given sacredness to the water, and the knowledge on water to create comfortable spaces has been accumulated in these Islamic cities.

Living Spaces and Holy Springs in France
Tadashi Hiraoka
There are many holy springs in France. What are holy springs? And what people do at the spring?
The holy spring can be divided into two types from the appearance: fountains in the Bretagne, and the rest. Bretagne is located in the northwest of the France. There is an unmistakable influence of the Celtic culture in this region inherited from the era before the merge into the France in the 16th century. The holy springs in this region show similarity in appearance. Some of the springs go back to the Celtic period; however concerning the decoration, most of them had been built in limitation of the church architecture of the 16th century and from that onward. In addition, most fountains had been built directly above the sump water, all but a few built remotely from the water source with the irrigation.
On the contrary, common characteristics in appearance could not be found in the areas other than Bretagne. The 20% of holy springs have no decoration. However, the importance of the fountain had nothing to do with the decoration. Next, I will consider the difference between a simple spring and a holy spring.
One of the important factors of the sacredness of spring may be the locational. The effects of water would instantly diminish with the increasing distance from the spring, which is apparent in Bretagne. Only water near the spout from the holy spring has become the object of worship; water short distance away from the spout sometimes even used for washing. In other cases, the holy spring is located in the periphery of a settlement; in other words, the boundary of a living area and its outside area. Such sense of distance generates the sanctity.
In the next place, I will consider the formalities performed near the spring that seem to be irrational, and its reason. The holy springs have been expected to offer the following functions: healing and prophecy. Regarding the healing effect of the spring, people often expect the instant result. The "dramatic" and "complete" healing would be expected instead of the "alleviation" and "relief". The 60% of holy springs specialize in the particular ill. People had to find the specialist for their illness; because each illness had the name of the saint in the past, they could easily find the appropriate spring.
Then, which type of diseases has been treated by such springs? The 20% of the springs have specialized in the treatment of diseases of babies or children. The springs are much needed by them because of their weakness and defenselessness against various dangers. There are quite a number of springs for eye diseases. It is easy to assume that fountains with better water quality than ponds or rivers, may have been used in place of eye drops in the era of undeveloped medical technology. The formalities performed in such springs present the following characteristics; one is to light the candle, which is the symbol of light; the other is to rub their eyes with pebbles near the fountain, which implies that the sacredness of fountain inhabit in each place.
Secondly, when we look at the prophecy, it could be divided into two types: "marriage" and "death". The specific medium has been used for predicting the marriage such as marking pins. In that period without buttons, clothes or hats were pinned; therefore, pins symbolized the power to fasten or conquer, in addition to attract or for self defense. If the pin thrown into the water floats on water surface, it hints the marriage within the year. In the 19th century, when pins were replaced by buttons for clothes, coins have become the medium of the prophecy. The fountain of Saint Leger located in Pont De Buis Les Quimerc of Bretagne has given the prophecy of death. To receive the prediction, people would break off twigs of a tree, take the bark off, and form a cross with the trigs on the way to the spring; if the cross thrown into the water spins around and around, he/she could live longer than several years.
It is sure that sacred fountains have been far more closely related to the mentality of village people than any other monuments. The fountain is more than a mere object, but a spiritual thing inseparably connected to the living or memories of the village. As far as modern people seek healing, the enthusiasm to the spring will continue.