Mapping Medieval Merv
Situated within the vast Karakum desert of western Central Asia, the Merv oasis exhibits a trove of archaeological sites, owing to its rich ancient and medieval history. Likely due to its strategic location along the historic Silk Roads, the oasis boasts no less than three distinct urban sites, each...
שמור ב:
| מחבר ראשי: | |
|---|---|
| פורמט: | Online |
| שפה: | אנגלית |
| יצא לאור: |
Sidestone Press
2026
|
| נושאים: | |
| גישה מקוונת: | ONIX_20260415T184306_9789464281088_2 |
| תגים: |
אין תגיות, היה/י הראשונ/ה לתייג את הרשומה!
|
| _version_ | 1869528043956994048 |
|---|---|
| author | V. Cowin, Loren |
| author_browse | V. Cowin, Loren |
| author_facet | V. Cowin, Loren |
| author_sort | V. Cowin, Loren |
| collection | Directory of Open Access Books |
| description | Situated within the vast Karakum desert of western Central Asia, the Merv oasis exhibits a trove of archaeological sites, owing to its rich ancient and medieval history. Likely due to its strategic location along the historic Silk Roads, the oasis boasts no less than three distinct urban sites, each corresponding to a different period. During the Islamic Golden Age (8th-13th centuries CE), the city of Merv flourished as a significant centre of Islamic scholarship and occasionally served as a capital. Unfortunately, its prosperity ended abruptly in 1221 CE when it was sacked by the Mongols. Today, the site known as Sultan Kala remains relatively untouched by modern development, setting it apart from many other early Islamic cities. Consequently, Sultan Kala presents a vast and intricate urban archaeological topography. What can this topography reveal about the medieval history of Merv? This study employs drone imagery, geographic information systems (GIS), archaeological data, and historical sources to explore the archaeological topography of medieval Merv, with a particular focus on Sultan Kala, and how it reflects the city’s historical layout. Drawing upon concepts from the field of urban morphology and scholarly research on Islamic urbanism, this study seeks to analyse and interpret the city’s form, shedding light on its unique development during the early centuries of Islam. Through this investigation, Merv emerges as a testament to the diversity and evolution of Islamic urbanism in Central Asia during the early medieval period. |
| format | Online |
| id | doab-20.500.12854ir-175877 |
| institution | Directory of Open Access Books |
| language | eng |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | Sidestone Press |
| publisherStr | Sidestone Press |
| record_format | ojs |
| spelling | doab-20.500.12854ir-1758772026-04-20T09:16:39Z Mapping Medieval Merv V. Cowin, Loren Urban archaeology Islamic urbanism Central Asia Silk roads GIS Early medieval cities thema EDItEUR::N History and Archaeology::NK Archaeology Situated within the vast Karakum desert of western Central Asia, the Merv oasis exhibits a trove of archaeological sites, owing to its rich ancient and medieval history. Likely due to its strategic location along the historic Silk Roads, the oasis boasts no less than three distinct urban sites, each corresponding to a different period. During the Islamic Golden Age (8th-13th centuries CE), the city of Merv flourished as a significant centre of Islamic scholarship and occasionally served as a capital. Unfortunately, its prosperity ended abruptly in 1221 CE when it was sacked by the Mongols. Today, the site known as Sultan Kala remains relatively untouched by modern development, setting it apart from many other early Islamic cities. Consequently, Sultan Kala presents a vast and intricate urban archaeological topography. What can this topography reveal about the medieval history of Merv? This study employs drone imagery, geographic information systems (GIS), archaeological data, and historical sources to explore the archaeological topography of medieval Merv, with a particular focus on Sultan Kala, and how it reflects the city’s historical layout. Drawing upon concepts from the field of urban morphology and scholarly research on Islamic urbanism, this study seeks to analyse and interpret the city’s form, shedding light on its unique development during the early centuries of Islam. Through this investigation, Merv emerges as a testament to the diversity and evolution of Islamic urbanism in Central Asia during the early medieval period. 2026-04-20T09:16:38Z 2026-04-20T09:16:38Z 2026-04-16T13:08:12Z 2026 book ONIX_20260415T184306_9789464281088_2 2950-2373 https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/112459 9789464281088 9789464281095 9789464281101 https://directory.doabooks.org/handle/20.500.12854/175877 eng ROOTS Studies open access image/jpeg Attribution 4.0 International https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/112459/1/9789464281088.pdf Sidestone Press Sidestone Press Dissertations 10.59641/hh278kt 10.59641/hh278kt f8b41c78-b5d0-411d-aa34-324bccd61c66 9789464281088 9789464281095 9789464281101 Sidestone Press Dissertations 166 Leiden open access |
| spellingShingle | Urban archaeology Islamic urbanism Central Asia Silk roads GIS Early medieval cities thema EDItEUR::N History and Archaeology::NK Archaeology V. Cowin, Loren Mapping Medieval Merv |
| title | Mapping Medieval Merv |
| title_full | Mapping Medieval Merv |
| title_fullStr | Mapping Medieval Merv |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mapping Medieval Merv |
| title_short | Mapping Medieval Merv |
| title_sort | mapping medieval merv |
| topic | Urban archaeology Islamic urbanism Central Asia Silk roads GIS Early medieval cities thema EDItEUR::N History and Archaeology::NK Archaeology |
| topic_facet | Urban archaeology Islamic urbanism Central Asia Silk roads GIS Early medieval cities thema EDItEUR::N History and Archaeology::NK Archaeology |
| url | ONIX_20260415T184306_9789464281088_2 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT vcowinloren mappingmedievalmerv |