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Architecture orientale

Malqaf


A traditional wind catcher of Arab architecture, the malqaf is an oriented air scoop that channels higher breezes into a building's interior through vertical shafts. Often combined with a salsabil for evaporative cooling, it provides passive ventilation in hot climates. This ancient bioclimatic device informs the sustainable comfort strategies of desert heritage hotels, where it tempers interiors without mechanical cooling and reduces energy demand.