Architectural Patterns of Entrances to Historic Residential Buildings in the Hijaz)Applied to the Cities of Makkah and Jeddah(

The entrance is one of the most important architectural elements in Islamic residential buildings. It is the address of the house, the passageway, and the gateway leading to it, transporting the person from the public (the public street) to the private (inside the house). It also reflects the architectural and artistic richness of the building, as well as the social and financial status of the homeowner.

The architecture of residential building entrances, particularly in the various cities of the Hijaz, has gone through several stages of maturity, development, and growth. They began as simple openings devoid of any decorative elements, limited to their functional function as a passage and communication opening, as well as a lighting and ventilation opening. They then grew and became increasingly sophisticated and complex, developing prominent blocks and various types of arches. This research aims to study the entrances of historical residential buildings in the Hijaz, applying them to the entrances of residential houses, whether they remain or have disappeared, in the cities of Mecca and Jeddah. It attempts to create an architectural and artistic classification for them, and to verify their architectural composition, considering that the entrance is an integrated architectural unit consisting of a group of elements that the architect Hijazi he was able to formulate in accordance with a group of considerations and rules, with clear ingenuity, in which he was able to achieve the function of the entrance in a manner that is consistent with the location, jurisprudential and social considerations, and other factors that clearly influenced the architecture of these entrances. The study of these entrances reveals the extent of the success and ingenuity of the Muslim architect in reconciling form and function, and his keenness on the artistic and aesthetic aspects of their architecture and decoration. Anyone observing the entrances of houses in Makkah al-Mukarramah and Jeddah will be able to observe the diversity of their architecture, their locations, and their numbers in a single building. They also display the variety of arches crowning them, including skylights and wooden door shutters in various configurations, all of which reflect the Hijazi style of woodworking. This study will also reveal other architectural and decorative features, which will be revealed in the future, God willing.