Posted at Dec 05/2007 09:22AM:
vgorra: Khitta were allotments for tribal distribution in early Islamic cities such as Fustat, Basra, and Kufa. These allotments were “marked out” or defined by specific individual groups who sought the right to claim possession of the land. They are evidence that cities were socially and culturally influenced, rather than organized solely by a strict orthogonal grid.

Posted at Dec 10/2007 08:42AM:
ian: There is some archaeological evidence to suggest that in some of the amsar such as Fustat there was the application fo both the Khitta for certain areas of the city that were more tribally organized and an orthogonal plan in parts of the city that were not strictly for any one tribe but more of a communtiy space, a down-town if you will.