The Houses of al-Andalus

The architecture of houses in al-Andalus has long been the subject of various typological classifications and interpretations regarding its evolution. This article presents an in-depth analysis of the domestic structures excavated at 59 published archaeological sites, encompassing urban and rural se...

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Autores: Alcolea Castellsagué, Guillem|||0000-0001-8737-4168, Kirchner, Helena|||0000-0002-3877-4138
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2026
País:España
Institución:Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Repositorio:Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ddd.uab.cat:325389
Acceso en línea:https://ddd.uab.cat/record/325389
https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.1515/opar-2025-0067
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Archaeology of al-Andalus
Domestic architecture
Household archaeology
Courtyard house
Islamisation
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spelling The Houses of al-AndalusA Synthesis of a Domestic ModelAlcolea Castellsagué, Guillem|||0000-0001-8737-4168Kirchner, Helena|||0000-0002-3877-4138Archaeology of al-AndalusDomestic architectureHousehold archaeologyCourtyard houseIslamisationThe architecture of houses in al-Andalus has long been the subject of various typological classifications and interpretations regarding its evolution. This article presents an in-depth analysis of the domestic structures excavated at 59 published archaeological sites, encompassing urban and rural settlements between the 8th and 14th centuries. Based on the internal layout of these dwellings, a classification of the main house types is proposed. The distribution of these types across urban and rural settlement contexts and their chronological framework is also examined. The study argues that the courtyard house should not be defined by the number of built wings around the patio or by its construction process, but by its essential and defining feature: the courtyard. This type of dwelling is attested from the earliest phases of al-Andalus. Documented modifications to the floor plans - primarily subdivisions or extensions - are interpreted as responses to changes in the composition of the household and often span more than one generation. Differences in architectural complexity, room functionality, and building techniques are mainly attributed to the degree of specialisation reached in the construction processes. This approach offers a renewed perspective on the Andalusi house, in which the courtyard is reaffirmed as the central organisational element. 22026-01-0120262026-01-01Articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501VoRhttp://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85info:eu-repo/semantics/articleapplication/pdfhttps://ddd.uab.cat/record/325389https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.1515/opar-2025-0067reponame:Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UABinstname:Universitat Autònoma de BarcelonaInglésengMinisterio de Ciencia e Innovación https://doi.org/10.13039/501100004837 101071726-MEDGREENREVopen accesshttp://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:ddd.uab.cat:3253892026-06-06T12:50:31Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv The Houses of al-Andalus
A Synthesis of a Domestic Model
title The Houses of al-Andalus
spellingShingle The Houses of al-Andalus
Alcolea Castellsagué, Guillem|||0000-0001-8737-4168
Archaeology of al-Andalus
Domestic architecture
Household archaeology
Courtyard house
Islamisation
title_short The Houses of al-Andalus
title_full The Houses of al-Andalus
title_fullStr The Houses of al-Andalus
title_full_unstemmed The Houses of al-Andalus
title_sort The Houses of al-Andalus
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Alcolea Castellsagué, Guillem|||0000-0001-8737-4168
Kirchner, Helena|||0000-0002-3877-4138
author Alcolea Castellsagué, Guillem|||0000-0001-8737-4168
author_facet Alcolea Castellsagué, Guillem|||0000-0001-8737-4168
Kirchner, Helena|||0000-0002-3877-4138
author_role author
author2 Kirchner, Helena|||0000-0002-3877-4138
author2_role author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Archaeology of al-Andalus
Domestic architecture
Household archaeology
Courtyard house
Islamisation
topic Archaeology of al-Andalus
Domestic architecture
Household archaeology
Courtyard house
Islamisation
description The architecture of houses in al-Andalus has long been the subject of various typological classifications and interpretations regarding its evolution. This article presents an in-depth analysis of the domestic structures excavated at 59 published archaeological sites, encompassing urban and rural settlements between the 8th and 14th centuries. Based on the internal layout of these dwellings, a classification of the main house types is proposed. The distribution of these types across urban and rural settlement contexts and their chronological framework is also examined. The study argues that the courtyard house should not be defined by the number of built wings around the patio or by its construction process, but by its essential and defining feature: the courtyard. This type of dwelling is attested from the earliest phases of al-Andalus. Documented modifications to the floor plans - primarily subdivisions or extensions - are interpreted as responses to changes in the composition of the household and often span more than one generation. Differences in architectural complexity, room functionality, and building techniques are mainly attributed to the degree of specialisation reached in the construction processes. This approach offers a renewed perspective on the Andalusi house, in which the courtyard is reaffirmed as the central organisational element.
publishDate 2026
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2
2026-01-01
2026
2026-01-01
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv Article
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
VoR
http://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85
dc.type.openaire.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
format article
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv https://ddd.uab.cat/record/325389
https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.1515/opar-2025-0067
url https://ddd.uab.cat/record/325389
https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.1515/opar-2025-0067
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
eng
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
language eng
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación https://doi.org/10.13039/501100004837 101071726-MEDGREENREV
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv open access
http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.rights.openaire.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv open access
http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB
instname:Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
instname_str Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
reponame_str Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB
collection Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB
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