Architectural Image of Bukhara in the XVI-Early XX Centuries

In the 16th century, the types of architectural structures were improved, many public buildings and structures (caravanserais, bridges, cisterns, baths in cities, time and other stalls) were built, the history and appearance of monumental buildings were changed. The city of Bukhara is surrounded by a thick and high wall (up to 10 meters) with city gates. Large buildings used the traditions of folk architecture, and monumental buildings began to be built outside the city.

Tashkent gates

nformation about the first 12 gates located in the territory of Tashkent, its construction, as well as the names of these gates are stated. In the history of the ancient and ancient city of Tashkent you can find a lot of information about the city gates. Sources say that the castle was built in the IX-X centuries in the market area in the city center. It is surrounded by defensive walls. Gates are installed on the defensive walls. According to some sources, the number of ancient gates of Tashkent varied in different periods. For example, in the XVIII century there were 8 gates, and by the XIX century their number increased to 12. During this period, Tashkent was crossed by 8 main roads, which were the main trade routes. The city of Tashkent, a crossroads between East and West, sought to protect itself from external enemies. The defensive wall of the city had 12 gates (Takhtapul, Labzak, Kashgar, Kokand, Koymas, Beshyogoch, Kamalon, Samarkand, Kokcha, Chigatay, Sagbon, Karasaray) and two gates (i.e., a gate for 1 horseman). Of these, the gates of Labzak, Kashgar, Kokand, and Koymas were built on the eastern side of the part that was later annexed to the city, some of which were replaced. The names have also changed due to the relocation.

THE GATE OF THE MEDIEVAL SITE OF KOSKUDUK

The article considers the topographic location, chronology, economy and excavations of the medieval site of Koskuduk, located in the Shui Valley. Although the first information about this site entered scientific circulation in the late 1980-th, accurate and scale excavations were not carried out. The Shui archaeological detachment (head Y.Sh. Akymbek) of the Institute of Archaeology named after A.Kh. Margulan in 2018 in the eastern corner of the medieval site of Koskuduk was organized the test pit, shurf and in 2019 on the site of the North-Eastern gate excavates and receives valuable information about the periodization, fortification, the economy of medieval city. The authors of the article draw the special attention to the etymology of the names of the gates in general, medieval gate structures in the Shui Valley, based on researched of other city gates. The radiocarbon analysis of charcoal from pit was carried out in 2018, and it was established that the site dates back to the XI-XII centuries (1043-1104 (41.1%) calAD; 1117-1211(54.3%) calAD). The ceramics complex, discovered at the gate site, is dominated by tableware. The X-ray diffractometric analysis of one instance of kitchen and dining utensils was carried out in order to determine which minerals are contained in the clay of the detected ceramic products. As the result, although the minerals and other impurities in the clay composition of the dishes are generally the same, there are significant differences in percentages. There are number of whole buried skeletons of dogs and partially entire preserved skeletons of horses were found at the gate zone. In addition, archaeozoological analysis of other osteological materials identified in the excavations was carried out, as well as comparative studies of the external forms of pets (cattle and dogs).

THE ETRUSCAN CITY GATES OF PERUGIA: GEOMATIC TECHNIQUES FOR THE DOCUMENTATION AND STUDY OF AN URBAN HISTORY HERITAGE

The Engineering Department of the University of Perugia and the Architecture Department of the University of Florence have started a research project on the ancient city gates of Perugia, belonging to the Etruscan city, dating between the third and second centuries b.C., and to the subsequent city wall completed in the twelfth century. In this paper, focus is placed on three Etruscan gates - Porta Eburnea (also called Porta della Mandorla), Porta Cornea and Porta Trasimena – which have in common profound Middle Age transformations and further significant context changes following the loss of function as defensive walls. Due to the decommissioning of this urban infrastructure, the gates have assumed a marginal role; nowadays they are almost completely absorbed by residential buildings, almost losing the memory of their origins and of the important Etruscan remains that are still preserved in the gates. Geomatic surveys on the three Etruscan gates were carried out by the Geomatics Laboratory of Perugia University in the frame of a research project financed by the Cassa di Risparmio di Perugia Foundation. The survey was carried out by means of a coordinated use of more Geomatic techniques: GNSS, Total Station, Terrestrial LIDAR and Digital Photogrammetry. From LIDAR and photogrammetry were derived dense point clouds, beside CAD plans, sections and elevations. The information acquired with these detailed surveys provide a completely new and accurate documentary evidence of the gates’ consistency, allowing to identify the actions and interventions that have changed their structure over time.

„[…] aby ich na zawsze w przyszłości nie uważano za zdrajców”. Herodot i inni greccy autorzy o lojalności i zdradzie w oblężonym mieście

[“[…] for fear that the people of Scione should hereafter be called traitors”] Herodotus and other Greek authors about loyalty and betrayal in the besieged city This study attempts to determine the frequency of the betrayal of a besieged city in the world of Herodotus. The Histories is an excellent source of knowledge about the attitude of Greeks towards disloyal fellow citizens opening the city gates to the enemy, at a time when siege machines were not yet known, and betrayal (along with hunger and deception) was practically the only chance to conquer the city. Consequently, the question arises: do broader historical and literary studies (testimonies from subsequent decades and centuries) allow us to see the correlation between the popularity of the phenomenon of city betrayal and the development of siege technique. Was the role of betrayal decreasing with time when tools appeared that could assault the city walls? The article is an attempt to answer the question about the importance of loyalty to the local community in the face of war in the context of changing external conditions.

Al-Bunayya, una ciudad fortificada benimerín en la costa norte del estrecho de Gibraltar (1282-1375)

Al-Bunayya, a fortified Marinid city on the northern coast of the strait of Gibraltar (1282-1375 AD)This article presents the results of the archaeological investigation carried out between 2017 and 2018 by Algeciras City Council in al-Bunayya (1282-1375), the only city founded by the Marinid dynasty in al-Andalus, after recent research revealed its true location. Until then, the site of the city had been attributed to another Islamic city in Algeciras: al-Ŷazīra al-jadrā’. The two cities existed alongside one another from the end of the Middle Ages, until they were destroyed by the Nasrids in 1375 or 1379 and subsequently abandoned. The medina’s defences comprised a wall protected by two lines of concentric barbicans and a third section which may have formed part of the entrance to one of the city gates. At least three phases of construction have been identified: the first coincides with the founding of the city by the Marinid sultan Abū Yūsuf (1282-1285), when the wall and the first barbican were built from rammed earth, a technique used in most Marinid urban settlements. The second phase (1285-1344) may be linked to Nasrid refurbishments, which covered or substituted the former rammed earth walls of the towers with walls made from layers of stone masonry and filled with rubble masonry, reflecting the customary methods used to refurbish fortifications on the border with Castile. The third phase (1344-1369) may be attributed to the time of the Castilian conquest due to the presence of stonemasons’ marks, and involved the construction of a sloping barbican using stone and rubble masonry.

The Ancient City of Babylon

Babylon during Nebuchadnezzar II (604-562 BC) was a great city. It had been a large city since Old Babylonian times, but Nebuchadnezzar’s expansion of the city and large-scale rebuilding of important buildings with good baked brick instead of the traditional unbaked mudbrick created something exceptional. Babylon now was larger than Nineveh had been and larger than any of the cities in the known world. The political and economic base for this development was of course that it was the centre of the Neo-Babylonian empire created by Nebuchadnezzar’s father Nabopolassar (625–605 BC) and succeeding the Neo Assyrian empire as the main political entity in the Middle East. An attempt for the first time to bring together the main results of the German excavations in Babylon with the main results from the Iraqi excavations there and thereby make use of the available cuneiform documentation and a selected use of the best of the classical tradition. With the help of a GIS software (QGIS) and a BIM program (ArchiCAD) the use of satellite images and aerial photos combined with inspection on the site, the historical development of the site has been studied and a digital research model of Babylon for different periods of the city’s history has been created. Only main buildings and constructions have been considered and placed in the appropriate historical and archaeological context. Part 1 includes some information about the historical development of buildings and nature in Babylon, the rivers and groundwater in Baybylon, as well as basics about the building materials used in Babylon. Part 2 discuss the city walls and city gates, introductory matters about the history, excavation and other documentations of the walls and gates. The chapter also includes presentation of the walls and gates during Nabopolassar followed by a detailed discussion of the walls and gates during Nebuchadnezzar. The Ištar gate and the area around it with the different levels and the upper level glazed decoration have been treated separately. Detailed interpretations about the palaces, development of the main traditional South Palace and the new constructed North are discussed in part 3. Reasonable suggestions for the Hanging Gardens in the North Palace have be provided. The temples are discussed in part 4 detailing the Marduk temple and the zikkurrat. The historical development of the four temples reconstructed on the site in Babylon on their old foundations, i.e. Nabû, Ištar, Ašratum, and Ninmaḫ temples, is discussed with indication which levels have been used for the reconstructions. The historical development of the other excavated temples, i.e. the Ninurta and Išḫara temples, are discussed in a similar way. Attention will be paid to the remains of wall decorations in the temples.

Rejuvenation of City Gateway as the Identity of Medan

As a developing city, Medan carries out a significant role in establishing the identity and image of the city and the development of the surrounding cities and districts. One effort to establish the identity and image of the city can be created through the existence of city gates that can produce a plot, rhythm, and balance for the city bounded. The gate of Medan City has not succeeded in becoming a city gate that meets the needs needed by migrants who pass through the city gate area. This study will address the problems discovered at the Medan City gate in Binjai, Tanjung Morawa, Tembung, and Pancur Batu and relate them to the rejuvenation of the city area through revitalization methods in supporting Metropolitan Mebidangro. The research aims to analyze predetermined variables, namely elements of the city image, namely path, edge, district, nodes, and landmark. For this reason, a qualitative descriptive study was carried out, which was realized through observation and interviews and also documentation studies. The results of the research obtained from this study can be used as a reference and solution to find out the problems that exist int the area around Medan City gate and also give functional supports to develop the area around Medan City.