Historic courtyards are the subject of this issue of Alam al-Bina. Courtyards are considered as an architectural phenomena that stems from the nature of human beings, their choice of home. It shows the use of the courtyard by different civilizations, and as the center of the house. It also illustrates the environmental factors that affected the construction of courts and their design process. (Taken from English summary on page 9)
Ibrahim, Abdelbaki Mohamed (ed). 1998. Historical Evolution of the Courtyard in Architecture. In Alam al-Bina. Cairo: Center for Planning and Architectural Studies, 10-13/204.