Urban and Rural Areas in the Lower Zab (Biskra and Its Oases) during the Sanhaja Islamic Period: An Approach to Territorial Dynamics

Drissi, Douaa; Ben Mehaia, I

مجلة الشهاب
Volume 12, Numéro 2, Pages 713-734
2026-07-28

Urban And Rural Areas In The Lower Zab (biskra And Its Oases) During The Sanhaja Islamic Period: An Approach To Territorial Dynamics

Authors : Drissi Douaa . Ben Mehaia I .

Abstract

Abstract : This study aims to understand how the dynamic interaction between urban centers and rural hinterlands in the Lower Zab during the Sanhaja Islamic period shaped a cohesive and integrated territory. To achieve this aim, the study employs a critical, interdisciplinary methodology that synthesizes historical narratives (drawn from al-Bakri, al-Idrisi, Ibn Khaldun, and al-Himyari) with geographical analysis, thereby moving beyond mere chronology to reconstruct the region's underlying political, economic, and social frameworks. The study concludes that hydraulic systems functioned as the fundamental socio-spatial organizer of the Zab, giving rise to a distinctive "hydraulic settlement" model , where this engineered reality forged an indispensable symbiosis between city and countryside: cities acted as administrative and commercial nuclei managing water resources, while the surrounding countryside guaranteed agricultural and pastoral productivity. Consequently, this deep-seated interdependency transformed the Zab into a resilient and strategically vital crossroads, seamlessly integrating urban and rural life into a single, functioning organism.