A mudhif is the large guest house or communal hall of the Marsh Arabs in the marshlands of southern Iraq, built entirely from reed. The building type has been used there for at least 5,000 years and is recognisable by the row of tall parabolic arches of bundled reed that span the space.
A mudhif is not a dwelling but a ceremonial building: it is paid for and maintained by the local sheikh and used for guests and for gatherings such as weddings and funerals.
How it is built
The material is qasab, a bamboo-like marsh reed that grows several metres tall.
- Long stems are bound into thick, tightly lashed bundles — these are the columns
- The ends of the bundles are driven deep into the ground in two facing rows
- The opposing bundles are bent towards each other and tied together at the top, forming a series of parabolic arches
- Woven reed mats are stretched over and between the arches, forming both roof and wall
- The end walls are partly left open with woven screens (mshebbech), which control the airflow through the building
Why it is structurally interesting
- Form follows force. The arch works almost entirely in compression. Because the bundles are put into tension as they are bent, the frame becomes stiff without any rigid joints or fixings
- One material. Structure, roof covering, wall and shading are all the same locally harvested material; no metal, timber or stone is involved
- Climate. The thick reed walls insulate against the heat while the open ends give cross ventilation
- Repairable. Damaged bundles and mats are replaced; in practice the building is continually renewed rather than demolished
The type is under threat because the marshes were largely drained in the 1990s; as the marshes are restored, the craft is partly returning.
Related terms
- Reed
- Thatched roof
- Arch
- Vernacular architecture
- Vault
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