لخّصلي

This article provides a critical interpretation perspective of cultural interactions between the "East" and the "West", and questions the role of the comparative approach, when not used in its field, in producing false knowledge that has worked for a century and a half to build the perception of the "Islamic city" in the minds of Europeans. This article collects many texts produced by Western thought since the 19th century, especially around the cities of the Muslim world. Our goal is to prove that the comparison (curriculum) at all levels was the cause of misunderstanding of the Islamic city. One of the most important findings of this study was that the Westerners were still far from understanding the spirit of the Islamic city despite their progress in understanding its physical structure. Our problem was founded on the intent (insistence) of many researchers in the West on the comparative approach, which does not fit these studies, so that it produced a distortion at the level of understanding and judgment. By examining the role of Western studies in producing many images of our cities we know today, I recommend this study to researchers, scholars, students of Middle East and North African studies, cultural studies, architecture and urban arts.

This article provides a critical interpretation perspective of cultural interactions between the "East" and the "West", and questions the role of the comparative approach, when not used in its field, in producing false knowledge that has worked for a century and a half to build the perception of the "Islamic city" in the minds of Europeans. This article collects many texts produced by Western thought since the 19th century, especially around the cities of the Muslim world. Our goal is to prove that the comparison (curriculum) at all levels was the cause of misunderstanding of the Islamic city. One of the most important findings of this study was that the Westerners were still far from understanding the spirit of the Islamic city despite their progress in understanding its physical structure. Our problem was founded on the intent (insistence) of many researchers in the West on the comparative approach, which does not fit these studies, so that it produced a distortion at the level of understanding and judgment. By examining the role of Western studies in producing many images of our cities we know today, I recommend this study to researchers, scholars, students of Middle East and North African studies, cultural studies, architecture and urban arts.