The aim of the survey on which this book is based was to make a record of all buildings constructed in Palestine during the medieval and Ottoman periods. The survey area covers the modern state of Israel excluding West Jerusalem and Ramla (which are covered in separate publications). The West Bank and Gaza will be the subject of Volume II (in preparation). Although Muslim buildings in Palestine have been discussed in previous surveys this is the only one that has focused exclusively upon Islamic architecture. The aim of the survey was to be as inclusive as possible in order to establish an overall architectural context for Muslim Palestine. The archives of the Department of Antiquities of the Government of Palestine (1918-48) are the principal source used for the location and identification of buildings in this book. In addition to valuable field notes the archives also contain special reports including some by K. A.

C. Creswell. These have been published in full where appropriate.