Development of the Philippine Islamic Courts

Abstract

This chapter attempts to describe the consolidation of the Islamic court in the archipelago, from the fanciful description of Urduja of Tawalisi to the activities associated with the palace: the chancery and the leisure. Accordingly, as the Islamic site of power, the realm of the territory must preserve a holy place, a shrine for respect and legitimacy—the ribāṭ. The chapter studies the human use of the space in Islamic terms, from the place of worship to the walls and the palace, following the requirements of the medina. Finally, a new urbanism from the Islamic medina to the European city evolved during the nineteenth century, erecting concrete buildings and walls. The chapter discusses not only the changes in the physical landscape, but also in the musical sense, as sound is part of the space too.