The authors focus on the constructive history of the village Umm as-Surab and the prevalence of supporting architectural systems, such as arches and masonry techniques. Despite the numerous and sometimes highly destructive earthquakes which affected the area from the second to thirteenth centuries AD, the siting of the village on a basalt plateau and the use of this material for its structures has led to good conservation of the village’s ancient habitat. These conditions make the village an optimal site for study of arch construction and identification of a typology of masonry techniques adopted over time to reduce the effects of seismic events.
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