The Development of Urban Planning Culture in Khorezm in the 14th-15th Centuries
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17605/cajssh.v7i2.1294Keywords:
Khorezm, Timurid Period, Amir Temur, Urban Planning, Medieval Central Asia, Gurganj, Garden Architecture, Ceramics, Archaeology, Cultural IntegrationAbstract
This article examines the process of development of urban planning culture in Khorezm during the 14th–15th centuries in connection with the consolidation of power by the Timurids. After Khiva joined the centralized empire under Amir Temur (1372-1388), the urban facilities were rebuilt, infrastructures restored, and economic life activated. Referencing available archaeological data, written reports, and material culture the study shows rebuilding of city walls with doll house scale mosques in Gurganj (Tashqala), Mizdahkon, Devkesgan Wazir and numerous other locations, along with restoration of canals for irrigation, caravan routes and gardens. The geometrically planned garden architecture and the production of Timurid ceramics, influenced by local traditions as well as more distant sources, are amongst its best-known features. The results demonstrate that if the Timurid era was one of decline, it was structured urban revival, and that it incorporated Khorezm into a broader imperial cultural and architectural system spanning Central Asia.
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