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URBAN PLANNING PROCESSES IN KHOREZM AND THEIR INDIVIDUAL
FEATURES.
Ruslanova Shahzodakhan
,
a 2nd-year student of the history
department at Mamun University.
Annotation:
This article examines the formation of urban culture in the Khorezm oasis and its
distinctive features based on materials obtained as a result of excavations at archaeological sites
and historical information provided in written sources.
Keywords:
Ancient Khorezm, Amu Darya, fortress, urban culture, productive forces,
archaeological finds, cultural layer, urban structure, Guldursun, Akcha-tuman, Kuhna-Uaz,
Tuprokkalya, Mesopotamia, V.M. Mosson, Ya. Gulomov, S.P. Tolstov.
Archaeological and topographic work in Khorezm has enriched existing ideas about the
emergence of local cities with new information. Since it is necessary to write about the ancient
urban centers of Khorezm, it is appropriate to briefly touch on this question here, summarizing
the details of the ancient cities of Central Asia.
Research scholars distinguish the following
distinctive features of Khorezm cities: the absence of clearly visible artisanal geniuses; the
scarcity or absence of fortresses; the absence of suburban settlements; and the uniqueness of
complex gatehouse structures. These ideas were based on the study of outlying towns that arose
near military-administrative posts or state border fortresses, which were not yet real urban
centers, but rather their first appearance. Therefore, for example, it is possible that the great
artisanal geniuses of the large cities of Central Asia were not present in the cities of Khorezm.
This handicraft production (mainly pottery) existed in their district, within a radius of 3-4 km,
near water sources (for example, in the area of Zhanbaskalā). There is every reason to
believe that if the large ancient cities of Khorezm were known, it would be possible to talk about
some of their important features without even mentioning them. Even during the small
excavations in Khazorasp, the remains of a pottery workshop dating back to the 4th century BC
were found within the city walls.
Although the size and conditions of this workshop are
unknown, it is still too early to say whether or not there were artisanal geniuses in the ancient
cities of Khorezm. But it can be stated with full confidence that there were settlements around
the city. As Y.G. Gulomov noted at the very beginning, a distinctive feature of the fortresses in
this place throughout the history of Khorezm was the presence of open settlements near them.
Such settlements were noted near Guldursun, Akcha-tuman, Kuhna-Uaz, Tuprokkala, etc. In
addition, as a result of archaeological and topographic research, a flat system of ancient Khorezm
1
Пугаченкова Г.А. Пути развития архитектуры Южного Туркменистана поры рабовладения и
феодализма. с.58.
2
Воробьева М.Г., Лапиро-Скобло М.С., Неразик Е.Е. Раскопки Хазараспа в 1958-61 гг. //МХЭ.,
Вып.6. -М., 1963. с.168-171.
3
Ғуломов Я.Ғ. Қадимий Хоразмнинг суғорилиш тарихи.– Т.: ЎзССР ФА нашриёти, 1959. 83,
85, 88, 91-92, 93-95 бетлар.
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agricultural sites, stretched along the canals, is clearly visible. Within each site, one larger center
and several smaller centers were distinguished. In terms of structure, this system can be
compared with the oases of Mesopotamia and ancient Bactria, but, as V.M. Masson wrote, if
rural settlements in Bactria resemble a small town with a fortress wall, towers, and a fortress
, In
each oasis in Khorezm, fortified, compact towns or urban-type settlements stood out sharply
among unfortified, small rural settlements. Thus, already at this time, differences in rural
settlement in different regions of Central Asia began to be noticeable, and in the Middle Ages
this difference became even more pronounced.
The population, related to the peoples of the Syr Darya, may have played a major role in the
formation of cities in the Amu Darya delta. The same Syr Darya connections are evident in the
culture of the population between the Northern Davdon and Daryolik tributaries. In the area
between these tributaries, the population of Oguz-Kipchak origin, who came from the Syr Darya
regions, also formed a large part
. The urban settlements that emerged here in the Middle Ages
have their own unique characteristics.
As early as the 4th-3rd centuries BC, there were settlements along the country's main trade
routes. Excavations in Sadvar, especially in Jagirbent, have yielded interesting information about
the history of these cities. At the base of the jagirbent was a small fortified structure with two
rows of walls, a firing range, and open-type towers
. This structure is very similar in style to the
fortresses of Qalalikyr II, Kichik Kirgiz, Burlikala, and others, which were located on the
outskirts of the country and were also located on similar hills. The ancient fortress of Shahsanam,
which was much larger in area, is also similar in style. Another type of city of this period was the
fortresses built on a plain, having a rectangular shape.
One of the largest of these fortresses was the Khazorasp fortress (10.2 ha). Thus, even at this
time, unique, fully planned, defensive construction methods are clearly visible. This is also
characteristic of the later Kushan period of the country's history, which, apparently, indicates that
the state played a major role in urban construction.
It should be noted that although the oldest layer discovered in all the multi-layered cities of
Khorezm is still considered to be the Kang (Kangyu) layer (IV-III centuries BC), it is still
unknown where the capital of the country was during this period. No archaic layer has been
found there yet, and, therefore, settlements of that period (VI-V centuries BC) are known only on
the outskirts of the country. Whether this geographical location of the oldest settlements of
Khorezm is accidental or not will be shown by subsequent studies of multi-layered urban
settlements. However, conducting these studies is associated with great difficulties, especially
since the high location of groundwater has so far led to the failure of attempts to reach the lower
layers. Although the study of the Khorezm oasis has yielded interesting information on the
problem of the relationship between the city of Khorezm and its rural surroundings, this problem
is multifaceted and has not yet been fully resolved. These materials, more than anything else,
show that S.P. Tolstov was undoubtedly right when he considered that the emergence of
medieval cities around feudal strongholds was one of the characteristic paths of their
development
. It should also be noted (as O.G. Bolshakov rightly noted) that S.P. Tolstoy greatly
4
Массон В.М. Проблема древнего города и археологические памятники Северной Бактрии. -
Древняя Бактрия. -Л., 1974, с.9.
5
Неразик Е.Е. Сельское жилище в Хорезме (I-XIV вв.). с.202-203.
6
Неразик Е.Е. К проблеме развития городов Хорезма. с.221.
7
Толстов С.П. По следам древнехорезмийской цивилизации. с.240-241.
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exaggerated the scale of this event. In addition, as in more ancient periods of Khorezm history,
cities were founded near the state's border fortresses (for example, Puljoy and Git in written
sources). The development due to the growth of old urban centers was even more significant.
However, since it is still not known what kind of cities these old centers were, for example,
ancient Sadvar and Jagirbent, Khiva, Mizdakhkan and others, O.G. Bolshakov: "As in all of
Central Asia, the development of cities in Khorezm in the 7th-12th centuries was not due to the
emergence of new cities, but rather due to the existence of old ones."
, - In our opinion, the
opinion expressed is not entirely correct.
Used literature
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the period of slavery and feudalism. p.58.
2. Vorobyova M.G., Lapiro-Skoblo M.S., Nerazik E.E. Excavations of Khazarasp in 1958-61 //
MHE., Issue 6. -M., 1963. pp.168-171.
3. Gulomov Ya.G. Kadimiy Khorezmning sugorish tarihi. - T.: UzSSR FA nashrieti, 1959. 83,
85, 88, 91-92, 93-95 betlar.
4. Masson V.M. The problem of the ancient city and archaeological monuments of Northern
Bactria. -Ancient Bactria. -L., 1974, p.9.
5. Nerazik E.E. Rural housing in Khorezm (1st-14th centuries). p.202-203.
6. Nerazik E.E. On the problem of development of Khorezm cities. p.221.
7. Tolstov S.P. In the footsteps of the ancient Khorezm civilization. p.240-241.
8. Belenitsky A.M., Bentovich I.B., Bolshakov O.G. Medieval city of Central Asia, -L.:
"Science". 1973, p.171.
Matniyazovich, A. U. (2022). Reflection of glassmaking in Khorezm handicrafts in
archaeological researches. Scientific and practical researches of scientists of Uzbekistan, (1), 28-
32.
Abdalov, U. M. (2022). Abu Raykhan Beruni's views on the Avesta and Zoroastrianism.
Academic research in educational sciences, (3), 98-100.
Abdalov, U. M. (2019). Spiritual and cultural life of the population of the Khorezm oasis before
the emergence of "Avesto" (From the 5th-3rd millennium to the 7th century BC). In Innovation
processes in science and education (pp. 145-147). Khodjaev, S. B., Matkarimov, H. A., &
Abdalov, U. M. (2015). Features of the external outline of Khorezm ossuaries. Young scientist,
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8
In that place. –S. 176.
