3.1.3. Bastakiya Windcatchers, Dubai, UAE (1890)

The Bastakiya windcatchers were built by Persian immigrants who migrated from Iran to Bastak in Dubai [20,42]. The immigrants started to construct structures like those in Iran, where the climate is warm and humid. Furthermore, windcatchers in Bastakiya, Dubai, are four-sided and usually square in a plan of approximately 2.5 × 2.5 m2 [20]. Figure <sup>34</sup> shows photographs of the four-sided Dubai windcatchers. Moreover, Figure 35 shows the possible air movement in a windcatcher in Dubai as analyzed by Hassan Fathy [43].

**Figure 34.** Four-Sided windcatchers in Bastaqyia, Dubai, UAE. modified by authors, original photograph by Russavia under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic.

**Figure 35.** Air movement in a wind tower in Dubai that was designed by Hassan Fathy in the 1970s. Reprinted with permission from [43]. 2023. Courtesy of the Rare Books and Special Collections Library, The American University in Cairo.

3.1.4. Diwan-Khanat Al-Asterabadi, Baghdad, Iraq (19th Century)

Iraqi architect Dr. Subhi Al-Azzawi documented the windcatchers in the Diwan-Khanat al-Asterabadi, Baghdad, Iraq, where there are four windcatchers. Three face the northeastern wind, and a larger one faces northwest (Figure 36a). Furthermore, the scoops of the windcatchers face inwards to the building rather than outwards. The unidirectional windcatcher (Figure 36b) reaches through the floors of the building and as far as the basement. Moreover, to aid in cooling the wind, a sizeable baked clay jug (*zir*) of water is placed at the base of the column [12].

**Figure 36.** (**a**) Plan and (**b**) section showing four windcatchers in Diwan-Khanat al-Asterabadi, Iraq (modified by the authors; adapted from [17]).

Moreover, windcatchers in Iraq are usually rectangular in cross-section. The column of a typical windcatcher in Iraq varies from 15 to 60 cm in width, and its height never exceeds the roof of its building but may begin from the roof. The roof of a windcatcher is inclined at 45◦. A windcatcher is usually 2 m from the roof. Columns usually end in the basement of the building, where the air flows through small metal windows underground [44].

#### *3.2. Modern Cases from the Middle East*

#### 3.2.1. Masdar City, Abu Dhabi, UAE (2010)

Despite the fact that Masdar City is located in an area with moderate wind, the city's planners decided to place the wind tower in the Public Square at the Institute of Science and Technology in Masdar City, rather than in a home or other enclosed space, to have a greater impact on more populated areas. At the base of the wind tower is a sizable urban plaza that is home to a variety of purposes, including cafes and other retail establishments, as well as a seating area that enjoys beautiful weather. The thermal performance of the enormous windcatcher in the public metropolitan area, which depends on modern technology, is shown in Figure 37. A stage is elevated beneath the windcatcher and is used for performance. Sensors manage the automatic louvers on the windcatcher. These sensors keep track of the predominant wind direction and control the louvers to send the wind down the tower in the appropriate direction. As an evaporative cooling system, the tower also has a high-temperature mist jet to humidify the incoming air and make it cooler at ground level [45].

**Figure 37.** A section through the windcatcher that shows its performance, the red arrow signifies hot air, while the blue shows that the air has been cooled (modified by the authors; adapted from [45]).
