Gender and Space Approach in Reading the Physical Patterns of Traditional Houses in Great Khorasan (Case Study: Kabul City)

Abstract

Objective:This study investigates how gendered socio-cultural structures are materially inscribed in the spatial configuration of vernacular dwellings in Kabul historically part of Greater Khorasan, in present-day Afghanistan. The primary aim is to identify and critically elucidate the qualitative spatial boundaries that govern gender-based segregation at the architectural scale, within a context where social norms, cultural traditions, and environmental conditions jointly produce distinct male and female domains.

Methods:A qualitative, descriptive-analytical methodology was adopted. Data collection comprised field documentation of six representative traditional houses in Kabul, including precise spatial mapping, analysis of historical and architectural documents, and semi-structured interviews with residents and local cultural and architectural experts.

Results:Findings reveal that two spatial components operate as the principal agents of gendered spatial organization: “Hijra”, the innermost, private, and exclusively female domain; and “Dara”, the central courtyard functioning as a semi-public, male-oriented space.This spatial dichotomy is articulated through geometric organization, hierarchical access control, and mechanisms of visual surveillance. Crucially, these architectural strategies do not merely accommodate functional needs; they actively reinforce and reproduce prevailing gender norms. The study concludes that traditional domestic architecture in Kabul functions not as a passive mirror of culture, but as an active agent in the structuration and perpetuation of gendered social relations within the domestic sphere.