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Hisham Mortada

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Books by Hisham Mortada

Mud Architecture of Najran, Saudi Arabia

Mud Architecture of Najran, Saudi Arabia, 2025

Najran: Where Earth, Culture, and Architecture Unite Tucked between the mountains, valleys, and ... more Najran: Where Earth, Culture, and Architecture Unite

Tucked between the mountains, valleys, and deserts of southern Saudi Arabia lies Najran, a place where the landscape and built environment are inseparable, and where architecture tells stories of resilience, identity, and deep connection to nature. For generations, its people have shaped mud buildings, woven together organic village layouts, and built sturdy defensive towers, all by hand, using materials drawn from the very earth beneath their feet. These structures aren’t just shelter; they’re living reflections of a culture shaped by its environment, its tribal heritage, and its role as a crossroads of ancient trade.

Najran’s mud architecture carries the wisdom of centuries. Every shaded alleyway, every rooftop terrace bathed in sunlight, speaks to a way of life rooted in sustainability, adaptation, and community. It’s a place where tradition isn’t frozen in time, but continues to offer insights into how we might build more thoughtfully today.

This richly illustrated book brings Najran’s mud architectural legacy to life through fieldwork, measured drawings, and oral histories. It uncovers the deep knowledge embedded in the region’s spatial planning, choice of materials, and ecological sensitivity. More than a historical record, it’s a testament to how time-tested principles can guide us in creating environments that are not only sustainable but deeply meaningful.

In a world moving quickly toward the future, Najran reminds us of the value of looking back, not with nostalgia, but with respect and curiosity. Its heritage offers more than inspiration; it offers a grounded, culturally rooted way forward.

Echoes of an Urban Past: Medina, Saudi Arabia

Echoes of an Urban Past: Medina, Saudi Arabia, 2025

This book is a tribute to Medina’s urban and architectural heritage. Through meticulous drawings,... more This book is a tribute to Medina’s urban and architectural heritage. Through meticulous drawings, field surveys, and documentation, it revives the memory of a city that once embodied harmony between faith, form, and function.

More than a historical study, this work is a call to rediscover the timeless wisdom of Medina’s traditional urbanism, lessons of climate, community, and spirituality that continue to inspire. It invites readers to envision a modern Medina that honors its enduring architectural identity and preserves the urban spirit of the first capital of Islam.

Coral Reef Architecture of the Red Sea: Yanbu · Umluj · Al-Wajh · Duba, Saudi Arabia

Coral Reef Architecture of the Red Sea: Yanbu · Umluj · Al-Wajh · Duba, Saudi Arabia , 2026

Living within Living: Along the shores of the Red Sea, the coastal towns of Yanbu, Umluj, al-Wajh... more Living within Living: Along the shores of the Red Sea, the coastal towns of Yanbu, Umluj, al-Wajh, and Duba reveal a distinctive architectural and urban heritage shaped by environmental, historical, and cultural conditions. This book explores these settlements, where houses constructed from coral stone, formed by once-living reef organisms, along with shaded streets and intricately carved wooden façade elements, embody a deep understanding of environmental adaptation and social life.

Beyond documentation, the book offers a timely reflection on the relevance of this heritage today. As coastal development accelerates, it calls for a more thoughtful approach, one that draws from the lessons of these towns to inform sustainable and context-sensitive design for the future.

Richly illustrated and grounded in field research, this book is an essential resource for architects, planners, scholars, and all those interested in the enduring legacy of Red Sea architecture and urbanism.

Al-Ula Unearthed

Al-Ula Unearthed, 2020

Al-‘Ula is a small town northwest of Saudi Arabia, extremely rich in nature, history, and traditi... more Al-‘Ula is a small town northwest of Saudi Arabia, extremely rich in nature, history, and traditional architecture. The breathtaking views of rock formations, sand dunes, and palm tree oases around al-‘Ula have been essential parts of its history and built environment. Along with Mada’in Saleh, a UNESCO world heritage site in close proximity to Al-‘Ula, there are ruins of ancient kingdoms such as Dedan, Lihyan, Ma’in, and the Nabatean in addition to remains dating back to early Islamic eras and modern history. Although these ruins are sufficient enough to signify the historic, geographic, and natural importance of al-‘Ula, the town’s organic urban fabric exhibited in the narrow zigzagged alleys adds more fascination and mystery to it and its cultural background.Though al-‘Ula was deserted more than 40 years ago, its street network, gates, and buildings are still intact. Strolling through the zigzagged dark alleys sided by half-stone-half mud buildings is a unique experience that only exists in al-‘Ula. This book unearths the history, nature, and architecture of al-‘Ula, and will be of interest to people in the fields of urban history, architecture, sociology, anthropology, and Saudi heritage.

Cultural Diversity of an Ancient Urban Element: The Cul de sac

Benton Heights LLC, 2019

The Cul-de-sac is a unique urban element, especially in traditional settlements that feature comp... more The Cul-de-sac is a unique urban element, especially in traditional settlements that feature compact organic urban form. In addition to its countless social advantages, the cul-de-sac greatly contributes to humanizing harsh climatic conditions, the hot arid in particular. Though many urban historians and planners ascribe its origin to the old Muslim city, the cul-de-sac had been in existence for centuries in various parts of the world.

This book explores the social and environmental dimensions of the cul-de-sac using historic and contemporary examples from various geographic contexts. It also examines in detail the physical aspects of the cul-de-sac in old Muslim cities, as well as contemporary Western cities.

Papers by Hisham Mortada

The tangible and intangible cultural heritage and its relationship to cultural sustainability within the traditional houses in the historical area of Jeddah

International Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies in Heritage Research, 2022

Traditional & Ancient Architecture of al-Ula, Saudi Arabia

A Traditional Settlement In A Modernized City: Yanbu, Saudi Arabia

Transition in the urban configuration of Arab cities has never been as radical and visible as it ... more Transition in the urban configuration of Arab cities has never been as radical and visible as it has been since the turn of the last century. The emergence of new cities near historical settlements of Arabia has spawned a series of developments in and around the old city precincts. New developments are based on advanced technology and conform to globally prevalent standards of city planning, superseding the vernacular arrangements based on traditional norms that guided so-called 'city planning'. Evidence to this fact are the extant Arab buildings present at the urban core of modern cities, which inform us about intricate spatial organization. Organization that subscribed to multiple norms such as, satisfying gender segregation and socialization, economic sustainability, and ensuring security and environmental coherence etc., within settlement compounds. Several participating factors achieved harmony in such an inclusive city—an organization that was challenged and apparently...

Durability, Sustainability and Restorability of the Saudi Desert Village of Historic Al-Ghat

Al-Ghat is a small desert settlement in central Saudi Arabia. Its traditional urban and architect... more Al-Ghat is a small desert settlement in central Saudi Arabia. Its traditional urban and architectural characteristics reveal the ability of earlier societies to combat harsh desert conditions and create pleasant indoor and outdoor environments. This paper analytically discusses these characteristics. The analysis covers the urban form, open spaces and land uses. Architecturally, components of a typical traditional dwelling of al-Ghat are explained in terms of spatial usage, construction materials and techniques, and decoration. The explanation is also interrelated with local environmental and socio-cultural traits of al-Ghat. Though old al-Ghat has been abandoned by its inhabitants, the paper ends exploring the current public efforts of restoration.

A Socio-Urban Account of Jeddah Slums, Saudi Arabia

For the last few decades, the urban and social fabric of the city of Jeddah, a major and most pop... more For the last few decades, the urban and social fabric of the city of Jeddah, a major and most populated city in Saudi Arabia, has been dominated by slums. It is estimated that the city consists of more than fifty slums scattered throughout the city. While many local urban planners and designers find it hard to comprehend the presence and continuous growth of these districts in the light of the various efforts made by the government to improve the urban and social quality in Saudi Arabia, these slums seem far away from being controlled or at least redeveloped. This paper analyses the history of Jeddah’s slums, their emergence, scale and urban and social characteristics. This is verified by a discussion of al-Sabeel, which is a main slum in Jeddah, and an examination of measures taken by Jeddah Municipality to deal with these physically and socially deteriorated areas. The paper also gives some insight on solutions implemented in international cases to improve slum conditions in Asia ...

Analytical Conception of Slums of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

For the last few decades, the urban and social fabric of the city of Jeddah, a major and one of t... more For the last few decades, the urban and social fabric of the city of Jeddah, a major and one of the most populated cities in Saudi Arabia, has been dominated by slums. It is estimated that the city consists of more than fifty slums scattered throughout the city. While many local urban planners and designers find it hard to comprehend the presence and continuous growth of these districts in the light of the various efforts made by the government to improve the urban and social quality in Saudi Arabia, these slums seem far away from being controlled or at least redeveloped. This paper analyses the history of Jeddah’s slums, their emergence, scale and urban and social characteristics. This is verified by a discussion of al-Sabeel, which is a main slum in Jeddah, and an examination of measures taken by Jeddah Municipality to deal with these physically and socially deteriorated areas. The paper also gives some insight on solutions implemented in international cases to improve slum condit...

format_quoteJeddah has 52 slum areas housing over one million people, representing 43% of its population under poor urban conditions.format_quote

Sustainable Desert Traditional Architecture of the Central Region of Saudi Arabia

Sustainable Development, 2016

Transition in the urban configuration of Arab cities has never been as radical and visible as it ... more Transition in the urban configuration of Arab cities has never been as radical and visible as it has been since the turn of the last century. The emergence of new cities near historical settlements of Arabia has spawned a series of developments in and around the old city precincts. New developments are based on advanced technology and conform to globally prevalent standards of city planning, superseding the vernacular arrangements based on traditional norms that guided so-called "city planning". Evidence to this fact are the extant Arab buildings present at the urban core of modern cities, which inform us about intricate spatial organization. Organization subscribed to multiple norms such as, satisfying gender segregation and socialization, economic sustainability, and ensuring security and environmental coherence etc., within settlement compounds. Several participating factors achieved harmony in such an inclusive city-an organization that was challenged and apparently replaced by the new planning order in the face of growing needs of globalized, economy-centric and high-tech models of development. Communities found it difficult to acclimatize with the new western planning models that were implemented at a very large scale throughout the Kingdom, which later experienced spatial restructuring to suit users' needs. A closer look the ancient city of Yanbu, now flanked with such new developments, allows us to differentiate and track the beginnings of this unprecedented transition in settlement formations. This paper aims to elaborate the Arabian context offered to both the "traditional" and "modern" planning approaches, in order to understand challenges and solutions offered by both at different times. In the process it will also establish the inconsistencies and conflicts that arose with the shift in planning paradigm, from traditional-"cultural norms", to modern-"physical planning", in the Arabian context. Thus, by distinguishing the two divergent planning philosophies, their impact of the Arabian morphology, relevance to lifestyle and suitability to the biophysical environment, it concludes with a perspective on sustainability particularly for in case of Yanbu.

TRABASA – TRADITIONAL ARCHITECTURE RECORDED BY MEANS OF BUILDING ARCHAEOLOGY IN SAUDI ARABIA: WORKSHOP IN JEDDAH

ISPRS - International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, 2013

Saudi Arabia has a rich architectural heritage that can be found in all regions of the vast count... more Saudi Arabia has a rich architectural heritage that can be found in all regions of the vast country. Except for a small number of publications the recording and documentation of the traditional built environment was not content of detailed scientific investigations so far. But with the increasing decay of the architectural heritage the interest for this kind of research is rising. A mirror of this efforts is the National Built Heritage Forum, annual conference, launched in 2010 by his excellency Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA). In that frame Saudi universities are intensifying research and educational programs for the research of traditional architecture.

A Socio-Urban Account of Jeddah Slums, Saudi Arabia

Dirasat Engineering Sciences, Feb 6, 2010

For the last few decades, the urban and social fabric of the city of Jeddah, a major and most pop... more For the last few decades, the urban and social fabric of the city of Jeddah, a major and most populated city in Saudi Arabia, has been dominated by slums. It is estimated that the city consists of more than fifty slums scattered throughout the city. While many local urban planners and designers find it hard to comprehend the presence and continuous growth of these districts in the light of the various efforts made by the government to improve the urban and social quality in Saudi Arabia, these slums seem far away from being controlled or at least redeveloped. This paper analyses the history of Jeddah's slums, their emergence, scale and urban and social characteristics. This is verified by a discussion of al-Sabeel, which is a main slum in Jeddah, and an examination of measures taken by Jeddah Municipality to deal with these physically and socially deteriorated areas. The paper also gives some insight on solutions implemented in international cases to improve slum conditions in Asia and South America. It culminates a list of recommendations to consider in dealing with Jeddah slums. These recommendations vary from provision of flexible means of affordable housing and empowerment and participation of slum dwellers, to legalization of the residency of non-Saudi dwellers, setting up long term strategies to prevent the appearance of new slums and establishing vocational programs to improve the economic and social conditions of dwellers.

Traditional Islamic Principles of Built Environment

Cities, 2004

Urban Sustainability In The Tradition Of Islam

The attention paid by the tradition of Islam to the natural and urban environments is reflected i... more The attention paid by the tradition of Islam to the natural and urban environments is reflected in certain principles that are clearly found in the basic sources of this tradition, the Qur’an and sunnah. Other principles have grown within the traditional built environment of early Muslims. This paper analyses the traditional Islamic ideals concerning the natural and urban environments, As far as the natural environment, preservation, while utilisation of natural resources, is the principle in which Islam has defined the relationship between man and nature. Islam has set up a responsibility for man towards nature, This responsibili~ evolves from the role of man as a user of natural resources and a preserver of the natural balance as well, In regard to the urban environment, Shariah, the traditional Islamic law, views that planning and regulating the built environment should support morals and improvement of society, As urban planning decisions determine the shape of social life in th...

format_quoteTraditional Islamic principles have advocated sustainability for 1400 years, emphasizing social values and rights through shariah and environmental practices.format_quote

Yanbu, Saudi Arabia: A Traditional City in Transition

Journal of Civil Engineering and Architecture

Transition in the urban configuration of Arab cities has never been as radical and visible as it ... more Transition in the urban configuration of Arab cities has never been as radical and visible as it has been since the turn of the last century. The emergence of new cities near historical settlements of Arabia has spawned a series of developments in and around the old city precincts. New developments are based on advanced technology and conform to globally prevalent standards of city planning, superseding the vernacular arrangements based on traditional norms that guided so-called "city planning". Evidence to this fact are the extant Arab buildings present at the urban core of modern cities, which inform us about intricate spatial organization. Organization subscribed to multiple norms such as, satisfying gender segregation and socialization, economic sustainability, and ensuring security and environmental coherence etc., within settlement compounds. Several participating factors achieved harmony in such an inclusive city-an organization that was challenged and apparently replaced by the new planning order in the face of growing needs of globalized, economy-centric and high-tech models of development. Communities found it difficult to acclimatize with the new western planning models that were implemented at a very large scale throughout the Kingdom, which later experienced spatial restructuring to suit users' needs. A closer look the ancient city of Yanbu, now flanked with such new developments, allows us to differentiate and track the beginnings of this unprecedented transition in settlement formations. This paper aims to elaborate the Arabian context offered to both the "traditional" and "modern" planning approaches, in order to understand challenges and solutions offered by both at different times. In the process it will also establish the inconsistencies and conflicts that arose with the shift in planning paradigm, from traditional-"cultural norms", to modern-"physical planning", in the Arabian context. Thus, by distinguishing the two divergent planning philosophies, their impact of the Arabian morphology, relevance to lifestyle and suitability to the biophysical environment, it concludes with a perspective on sustainability particularly for in case of Yanbu.