191 / 388
THE CASE OF
AL-FINA'
IN CAIRO
161
2. Second order of streets, the connectors: They were aften local
thoroughfares of a particular quarter or divided between
different quarters, had smaller dimension than the
(sha
1
ri
'), and
had apen ends.
3. Third order of streets, the cul-de-sacs: Most of the streets
in Cairo were of this type. They had different dimensions, but
but were in general narrow. They could be divided into two types:
First,
a single dead-end street, and second, multi dead-end
streets composed of several dead-end streets branched from the
first or the second order of streets.
It is common among scholars to call the streets of each
particular order by a name such as
zuka'k, darb, and shari
'
218•
But these terms were used in mixed order
219
and
there was not a
common or an agreed term for each particular type of a street.
The exception was the
sha'ri' or qasabah
which was aften used to
denote the main artery. Other terms such as
tariq, sikkah,
zanqah, darb, and •atfah
were aften used to name both the
thoroughfares and dead end streets
220
•
On the other hand, the
type, the name and the function could change over time.
The public apen spaces could be divided into five major
types
221 :
1.
Rahbah, (pl. riha'b)
were the apen squares and had different
sizes, were located along the streets, and surrounded by
buildings. They were among the basic design elements of the apen
21
8Raymond, Andre,
Le Caire.
Translated to Arabic by Faraj, Latif, 1993,
Al-Qahirah, Dar al-Fikr lil-Dirasa't, Cairo.
p. 236.
Jomard, E. F.
Description of Cairo.
pp. 161-163. See also its footnote
by Sayyid.
21
9Mubara'k, 'Ali,
al-Khitat al-Tawfiqiyyah.
Vol. 2.
220.r'his is an old phenomenon which occurred since building Fustat. See Al
Maqrizi,
al-Khitta't al-Maqriziyyah.
Vol. 2. pp. 37-47.
� 1
Jomard, E, F,
Description of Cairo.
pp. 161-163.