Mudhifs are monumental guest houses built by the Marsh Arabs of southern Iraq entirely from reeds and papyrus. Thick bundles are planted in the ground, bent together into arches and covered with woven screens—without conventional timber. The form appears on a 5,000-year-old carving from Uruk and remains in use for meetings, ceremonies and receiving guests. Few buildings have changed so little, partly because their construction material continues growing outside the door.
Mudhifs
