The protracted Arab-Israeli conflict has adversely affected the economic, social, and political development in the Middle East. In spite of the centrality of political considerations, it is important to look at the potential for trade and other transactions between the countries from a purely economic point of view. In this thesis candidates for trade in agricultural commodities between Syria and Israel are identified, assuming a normalization of relations between these two countries. / The history of trade in the region, from the Roman Empire to the present time is described and analyzed with an emphasis on Israel and Syria. This is followed by an examination of relative resource endowments, and political, economic, and social development, with special attention to the agricultural and food sectors. / Border trade analysis is used as a method for identifying commodities that are candidates for trade between Israel and Syria. In general, the method presumes that commodities that are sensitive to distance will be candidates for trade between neighboring countries. This sensitivity is assessed by an examination of border trade in a commodity compared to total trade in the same commodity, using data from a sample of countries. Commodities that tend to be traded between neighbors compared to between distant partners are assumed to have potential for trade between Israel and Syria. / The results of the analysis yielded 10 agricultural commodities (SITC three digit level) that are likely to be traded between Israel and Syria. Moreover, the possible direction of trade in these commodities could also be identified.

Common urban development patterns have given Middle Eastern cities their distinctive character. This identity is partly due to the climatic and regional similarity. The remarkable degree of unity and homogeneity amongst Islamic cities is also attributed to the common religious backgrounds and the behavioural expectation of Islamic society in its urban context. / In the past, when religion and politics acted as one body, the Islamic building principles played a major role in shaping the traditional settlement of Damascus. Political, economic, social and cultural changes introduced a new system of government. The reform movements changed the structure of the administration and established a new judicial system. The authorities implemented the Building Code and other pieces of legislation, with the object of organizing the growth of the urban form of Damascus. / This paper analyzes a cluster of traditional houses in a residential quarter of Damascus, with the objective of exploring the reciprocal effect between the physical form of the cluster and the social life that existed within it. Thereafter, in the same manner, the new settlement currently replacing the old one will be analyzed. These two settlements will be compared, with regard to the traditional building principles in the old quarters, and the new building code and regulations in the new settlements. Building guidelines that make the built environment and the social life of its inhabitants complementary will be the ultimate goal of this thesis.

This thesis studies the building cultures of traditional societies and the ways in which the inhabitants share knowledge as a means to address their needs for meaning and belonging.In specific, it examines the cultural, geographic, historic, and physical aspects of Maloula, an Aramaic village in Syria, to understand the role of the "villager-builder" in making decisions related to the urban form and architecture of the village.It was found that some villager-builders question a number of new design influences and processes in which they themselves engaged. They are critical of the new ideas, technologies, and styles that, in time, came to be seen as significant departures that disconnected the village inhabitants from their shared past, even as these same elements became part of the village's new traditions.Fundamentally, this thesis recognizes the importance of knowledge at all levels; in other words, the problems and solutions found by the villager-builders were and are the common property of all.Research methodology included reading previous studies about Maloula and traveling to Maloula in the summer of 2005 during which time numerous interviews were conducted with local inhabitants, villager-builders, and officials and professional workers in the village. Due to the lack of archives and written documents, this study is based on oral studies, visits to official institutions in Damascus and Maloula, and documentation of the village and its architecture. / Department of Architecture

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The growing realisation of national identity in the face of the threatening envelopment of globalisation has been one major inducement for the increasing practice of conservation of the world's built heritage. This study examines contemporary practices of heritage conservation, analyses their assumptions and theories, and critiques their guiding instruments, the Charters. It adopts a cross-cultural perspective to assess the merits, validity and agency of the most recognised Charters, to discuss their various adaptations, particularly in the Syrian context, and to reveal their Eurocentric focus and indifference to cultural concerns. The study also identifies the inadequacies of the Charters with regard to ethics and morality and proposes a code of ethics for urban conservation. The study focuses on the notion of authenticity that has been an issue of debate since the Nara Conference on Authenticity in 1994. Although arising from, and specifically aimed at, World Heritage Listing, authenticity is recognised as a complex issue dependent on cultural understandings. The study adopts the view that authenticity judgements are linked to a great variety of sources of information, such as form, design, materials, function, traditions, techniques, use, location and spirit that are context-related. It articulates a wide scope for conservation practices at the architectural, urban and archaeological levels, negotiating the breadth and depth of authenticity issues beyond mere fabric and function. The study promotes a dynamic view of authenticity, one that acknowledges socio-cultural change with its inevitable impact on the conditions and conservation of historic environment. The ethical code this study presents places the responsibility on the conservator to ensure the continued conservation and stewardship by the resident society. The study argues that both the Venice and Burra Charters, being the most recognised conservation instruments, are pitched at individual monuments. It critiques the widely held assumption that maintains applicability of these Charters to area and urban conservation. It draws attention to the paradox that while these Charters address the ethics of conservation their scope are limited to individual buildings, whereas the Charters concerned with urban and area conservation, like the Washington Charter, are inadequate with regards to ethical and cultural issues. By articulating a code of ethics for urban conservation, the study attempts to bridge a significant gap. The study draws on, and contextualises its arguments in, the rich and varied archaeological and urban heritage of Syria, a country that is still coming to terms with the practices, implications and problems of heritage conservation. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--School of Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Urban Design, 2004.

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published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Earth Sciences / Master / Master of Philosophy