GBER Vol. 8 Issue. 2 pp 26 - 39 Sidawi, B 26 Understanding the vocabulary of the Islamic architectural heritage *Dr Bhzad Sidawi College of Architecture and Planning, University of Dammam, Abstract The elements of historical Islamic architecture were designed and built to respond effectively a nd dynamically to people’s physical, environmental, social, physiological and religious requirements at their time. The research demonstrates that architects used to copy- paste various elements of the Islamic historical buildings in their design work without understanding the meanings and values that it holds. Such approach would only transfer the element's form though strips it from its historical context and values. The paper argues that architect should comprehend not only the hidden values of the historical elements only but also how values interacted and are integrated into these elements. By doing so, the architect would be able to correctly perceive and read these elements thus incorporate it successfully in his/ her design. The research proposes a conceptual model for analyzing and interpreting architectural heritage’s vocabulary and incorporating it into the present architectural design of buildings. Keywords: Architectural heritage, Islamic built laws, Islamic architecture vocabulary, identity. 1. Introduction Many research studies have criticized the present built environment of the Islamic and Arabic world and highlighted problems in the present Islamic/ Arabic built environment. These problems can be categorized into three categories. Firstly, it is the adoption and use of foreign e.g. Western architecture style. Some studies –for instance- argued that modem architecture is a Western import, a foreign implant and it has no connection with Islamic architecture that is based on the use of certain visual features (e.g. arches and colonnades) and certain design criteria such as emphasis on privacy and respect for rights of neighbours, etc. which is mostly absent in modem architecture (Al-Ibrabim 2003, Omar 2000). *Dr Bhzad Sidawi, College of Architecture and Planning, University of Dammam , 31451 Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia