A 35-year journey spent by the Saudi writer and researcher Saeed Abdullah Al-Wael, with the heritage architecture of the Gulf region and the Arabian Peninsula, traveling from one country to another, and from one city to another, as a researcher, documenter, and guardian of a precious heritage that deserves care and attention.
During this journey, which continues until today, Al-Wael presented a large number of research papers and publications that influenced the Arab library and provided Arab researchers interested in this field with rich and important material. The first of these was the book “Doors and Wooden Carvings in Traditional Sharjah Architecture.”
In the last ten years, the researcher was able to complete a project to preserve and document the trade and traditional construction crafts and what is related to them, such as the manufacture of doors and traditional wood and plaster carvings in all regions of the Arabian Gulf.
Al-Ahsa housing
Al-Wael recently published his book “The Housing in Al-Ahsa’s Heritage Architecture: History and Identity” in the field of architecture, its aesthetics and history in the Gulf and the Arabian Peninsula. This is part of a series of books and research papers that the author has presented to serve as an encyclopedia of historical architecture in Al-Ahsa, in which he sought to document and monitor the local urban heritage that he worked for most of his life.
In collecting the information included in the chapters of his book, he relied on field research based on the field experience he gained in the field of documenting heritage buildings and their various elements, field visits to all study areas, and what he did in terms of photography, documentation, interviews, and documents he obtained over the past 35 years.
In his new book, which consists of 6 chapters, Al-Wael discusses the most important historical areas in Al-Ahsa, explaining the history of architecture there and its heritage factors. He also presents models of the traditional Al-Ahsa house, such as the Bay’ah House, the Al-Najidi House, the Khalifa House in Al-Mubarraz, and others.
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The book’s chapters extend to include a study of everything related to historical residential architecture in Al-Ahsa, from building materials, work methods, artistic, architectural and decorative styles, in addition to a study of the furniture used in the Al-Ahsa house, with an explanation of the differences between village and city dwellings.
The book takes us on a journey to learn about historical buildings and their architecture in all its forms, as they are the most important aspects of civilization among different peoples. The importance of studying them lies in the fact that they are among the priorities on which urban preservation programs are based, which pave the way for documentation, restoration, and inclusion in the public life system in the modern era.
The studies contained in the book, which are distributed over its six chapters, come to fill the gap resulting from the lack of research in this field, as the traditional residential architecture of Al-Ahsa – according to the book – is a great cultural legacy, created by the thoughts and minds of the fathers and grandfathers who worked to preserve this cultural heritage and its continuity across the ages. We find it our duty to transfer it with all honesty to future generations.
The researcher also has a group of published studies, articles and books that deal with historical architecture and heritage inscriptions in the Arabian Gulf, including: Islamic doors and wooden inscriptions in historical buildings in the Arabian Gulf, Al-Ahsa plaster inscriptions, and Dubai’s historical doors and decorations.
Al-Ahsa’i architecture
Perhaps one of the most important features of residential architecture is that it reflects the cultural and historical identity of society and is compatible with its spiritual and material needs. The connection between housing, the family’s lifestyle and social life has caught the attention of many architects, including architect Hassan Fathy, who says, “Every nation that has produced architecture develops its preferred forms, which are specific to that nation, just as its language, clothing, or folk arts are specific to it. The appearance of a building has a profound impact on its inhabitants, and thus expresses a person’s personality and status, along with other details of his individuality, and adapts according to his economic needs. Consequently, buildings take the form of society with its many dimensions.”
According to the chapters and pages of the book, despite the different environments and architectural styles that historical architecture in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was filled with, the Ahsa heritage architecture was characterized by many aspects of distinction and creativity, reinforced by the skill and creativity of Ahsa builders, which reflects their cultural references, as archaeological and historical studies have confirmed that construction in most cities or villages was built on the ruins of older buildings, which suggests the transfer and continuity of previous ancient styles, which indicates that the styles of Ahsa residential architecture within its historical course are a model that preceded all the Gulf regions, and had a clear impact on the neighboring regions through several factors, the most important of which is the transfer of Ahsa builders to work in the Gulf regions.
As the author of the book mentioned, the political changes that Al-Ahsa went through had an impact on the development of architectural styles and methods and the construction movement, especially residential architecture, as the region went through historical periods that were sometimes stable and sometimes turbulent, which cast its shadow on the development of the construction and development movement.
It is noteworthy that the Saudi Al-Ahsa region has historical roots that extend back thousands of years, and is considered one of the oldest human settlements in the Arabian Peninsula, as humans inhabited it nearly 3,000 years ago. It has been known for a long time for its abundant water and fertile lands.
Al-Ahsa includes 40 archaeological sites, including 9 sites that the Saudi authorities succeeded in registering on the World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The region is distinguished by its unique heritage architecture that has attracted the attention of orientalists, researchers, and lovers of traditional architecture in the Kingdom, the Arab region, and the world.
