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nomadic headquarters in the form of a tent city was the appearance of a palace and
fortified walls. One of the key characteristics for this period is marked by the
presence of empty space, which the tents of the favorites continue to occupy.
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The building of free space in these cities depended on a specific historical
situation. It is known, for example, that Zanjir Sarai was plundered and destroyed in
1387 by Khan Tohtamysh of the Golden Horde, while Amir Timur was on a
campaign in Iran and Iraq. As the recent archaeological excavations in the modern
city of Karshi have shown, the discovered remnants of a monumental structure,
which chronologically belongs to the time of the rule of Kebek, were hidden under
thick layers of subsequent building periods. This last example illustrates the
hypothesis that the present city gradually expanded on the site of the nomadic city.
As part of a general scheme for the transition period, from nomad style of
living to sedentary culture, one can propose the following stages: First, the
installation of a fortification wall with free space inside for the tents (yurts), with the
principal greater leader usually located in the center (urda). Second, the
transformation of the leader’s central yurt of leader into a palace, built from either
mud or burnt brick. And third, the emergence of buildings for a prince or
aristocracy, with main urban elements like irrigation (canals, gardens, etc).
This only includes the early phase of nomad sedentarization, and I am, of
course, aware that this is a preliminary and very general scheme that in historical
reality could have been much more variable and complicated. But by considering
the development of nomadic cultures to semi-nomadic through the appearance of
city walls, one can assess… learn… etc.
In all probability, the walls of captured cities were not always completely
destroyed, but on the contrary used by the nomads for their own defensive
construction.
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Describing the grounds of Karakitai, Plano Karpini remarks that the Tatars built there only one city,
Omyl, during the rule of Ugedey khan. The Karakitai and Naymans, according to Karpini, were not
engaged in agriculture, but like the Tatars, lived in tents. It is interesting in this respect to cite the
statement by Plano Karpini: "In this land, dwells Ordu, whom we say to be one of the more ancient Tartar
dukes. And he lives at the court of his father, and one of his wives rules there. For it is a custom among the
Tartars, that the Courts of Princes or of noble men are not dissolved, but always some women are
appointed to keep and govern them, upon whom certain gifts are bestowed, as they are given to their
Lords. And so, at length we arrived at the first court of the Emperor, where one of his wives dwelt. But
because we had not yet seen the Emperor, they would not invite us nor admit us into his Orda, but caused
good attendance and entertainment, after the Tartar fashion, to be given to us in our own tent, and they
caused us to stay there, and to refresh ourselves with them one day." (John de Plano Carpini, The long and
wonderful voyage of Friar John de Plano Carpini, Chapt. 24, 25, eBooks@Adelaide, 2004. For the
Russian translation see: A. Malenin (Trans.), Istoria mongalov, XVII, Nauka, Moscow 1957, 73-74. Most
likely, in the constructed palace lived the closest relatives and the facilities and management of a court
that was in the hands of one the wives of the khan.
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Fig. 1 Schematic map of ancient nomad sites (K. Abdullaev 2007).
Fig. 2 Plan of the Dalverzin site. Late Bronze Age and Iron Period.
(G. Koshelenko 1985)
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Fig. 3
Plan of Kalai Zakhoki Maron. II BCE.
(S.K. Kabanov 1977).
Fig. 4 View from air. Kalai Zakhoki Maron (Photograph
courtesy of the Institute of Archaeology, Samarkand).
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Fig. 5
Plan of Bulgar and Bilyar. IX CE (A. P. Smirnov, 1981).
Fig. 6
Plan of Karshi site (M. E. Masson 1973).
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Fig. 7
Plan of Sanjir Sarai. 15 CE (A. Raimkulov 2000).
Fig. 8 Book miniature of 15th century (1486) from the
Zafarnama of Sharaf al Din Ali Yazdi 15 CE (David J.
Roxburgh Ed., Turks: A Journey of a Thousand Years, 600-
1600, Royal Academy of Arts, London 2005).
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