描述

古代花剌子模的沙漠城堡群包括以下城堡：托普拉克城堡、阿亚兹城堡、科伊-基里尔干城堡、大古尔杜尔孙要塞、皮尔城堡、安卡城堡、库尔加申城堡和詹巴斯城堡。

　　塔拉克卡拉

古聚落遗址托普拉克卡拉占地500х350米（17公顷），呈矩形。它被防御墙环绕，这些墙以竖井的形式保存下来，有些地方高达8-9米。墙体由众多带椭圆形转角的四边形塔楼加固，并由宽阔的沟渠环绕。最初，墙体分为两层，底层设有走廊和拱形天花板，二层设有箭形射击孔。

古聚落遗址的入口位于南部防御工事的中间，呈复杂城门建筑的形式。城堡位于古聚落遗址的北部，宫殿位于其中，面积80×80米。城堡建在平台上。宫殿的整体外观呈截棱锥形，高度达14.3米。

立面由垂直的壁架和壁龛系统装饰，覆盖着白色粉刷的雪花石膏。

至今，中央建筑底层约100间房间和二楼的部分房间得以部分保存。房屋的墙壁几乎完整保留。天花板呈拱形，横梁式，由柱子支撑。

挖掘工作发现了宫殿档案室的遗迹、武器库、沐浴室、设有祭坛和壁龛的双室圣所，以及记录已故者哀悼阶段的铭文。

宫殿的大部分区域被与帝国祭祀相关的前厅和圣所建筑群所占据。墙壁上装饰着铭文和陶土浮雕。

最有价值的是“沙皇大厅”——一个王朝的圣殿，祭坛上燃烧着火焰，祭坛前摆放着花拉子模23位沙皇的巨幅画像（雕塑是全尺寸的）。他们坐在沙发（长凳）上。此外，还有“胜利大厅”，墙上挂着画像，形式为浅浮雕，描绘的是端坐的沙皇和在他们身边腾空而起的女神。还有一个大厅和“黑士兵”展厅，墙上挂着沙皇和向沙皇致敬的黑士兵的画像。“鹿厅”装饰着这些动物的雕像。“面具舞厅”的墙上部分保留了成对的男女画像。在这座宫殿的神庙部分，发现了古代花拉子模的书面文件。

　　阿亚兹·卡拉

古聚落遗址阿亚兹卡拉（Ayaz Qala）呈四边形布局，各部分面积为182х152米。该遗址以世界遗址为重点。它建在山顶平地上，三面被数米高的断崖环绕。内部布局已无从知晓。保存完好的墙体高达10米，由46х32-46х10-13厘米大小的土坯砖砌成。阿亚兹卡拉是一组广泛分布于阿亚兹卡拉岩石底部广阔平原上的大型未加固乡村庄园，每个庄园都由巨大的低矮砖墙、庭院和残留的建筑痕迹组成，可能曾被用作花园。

这座房子由10至15个房间组成。这个居住地已从独立的父系家族部落中划分出来。在众多庄园中，有三座尤为显眼。首先，巨大的堡垒是阿亚兹-1，其周围是宽阔的空旷庭院，四周是带有门迷宫的塔楼和坚固的围墙，其规模堪比花拉子模古城的城墙。宏伟的类似庄园位于定居点的西北角。在山脚下高耸的锥形岩石阿亚兹卡拉上，矗立着城堡的有效遗迹——阿亚兹-2，该城堡建于贵霜王朝时期，在五至七世纪进行了现代化改造。最后，在毗邻定居点的阿亚兹卡拉高原断层上，坐落着保存完好的堡垒阿亚兹-1的宏伟遗迹，堡垒由众多半圆形塔楼组成，底部以拱廊加固，中心被岩石切割得井井有条，附近还有一座古塔。

　　KOY-KIRILGAN QALA

科伊-基里尔干卡拉（Koy-Kirilgan Qala）是一处圆形要塞遗址，直径90米，其入口位于东北部。该遗址已完全发掘。要塞建筑由大型圆柱形建筑组成，周围环绕着要塞墙，要塞墙距圆柱形建筑底部15米。在要塞长期使用的过程中，中央建筑原始形态与要塞墙之间的封闭空间在某些区域完全被填满。该遗址有三个建筑时期。

中央建筑属于第一种类型，呈圆形，是一座宏伟的建筑，周围是箭形走廊，走廊上有一排射击孔，下方9.7米至3.9米处设有7扇梯形窗户。中央建筑的高度高达8.5米，底部直径为44.5米。墙壁由土坯墙（pahsa）和土坯砖交替砌成。基础部分的墙壁厚度为7.2米。该建筑为两层。入口位于东侧。

第二个施工阶段的特点是外环建筑的施工。

该空间的建设涉及中央建筑与外墙之间的第三施工阶段。

　　大古尔德逊

古尔杜尔孙考古纪念碑由两个独立的建筑组成。大古尔杜尔孙在历史和城镇规划方面最具吸引力。它是12至13世纪花剌子模最大的边界要塞，建立在古堡荒废的基础上。该纪念碑呈不规则矩形，尺寸为350х230米，其四个角位于世界遗址之上。入口位于东南墙的中部。古墙和塔楼建在土坯墙（pahsa）的基座部分，土坯砖则建在土坯墙之上。墙壁几乎全部保存完好，高度达15米，有些地方甚至高达15米，构成了中世纪防御工事的基本框架。在墙壁的切割部分，保留了带有枪眼的古老墙壁遗迹。

堡垒的防御工事通过修建前墙屏障和第二排板塔得到了加强，这些板塔位于城墙侧翼的入口处。前门建筑呈半圆形。与中世纪堡垒每周都要在城墙内侧进行加固不同，这座堡垒只发挥了战略作用，与古代时期的设防城市不同。

　　皮尔卡拉

古聚落遗址呈方形，尺寸为230х227米。其边长也与世界边长相符。墙壁以坚固的泥流形式保存下来。内部布局的痕迹未被保存。考古发掘表明，这些竖井内部隐藏着双层墙壁的底部，两层墙壁之间设有射击走廊。这些墙壁由土坯墙（pahsa）建造而成，宽度达到1.8 - 2.4米。射击走廊的宽度为2.3 - 2.4米。墙壁通过半椭圆形塔楼加固，这些塔楼由土坯砖与土坯墙交替建造而成。斜坡墙壁的尺寸达到10米。堡垒的西南角由一座17х17米的矩形覆盖塔楼加固。墙壁保存高度为11米，厚度为6.5米。

　　安卡拉

安卡卡拉（Anka Qala）是位于东西商路上的要塞建筑，这条商路既是东西向的，也是东西向的。

它的平面图类似于正方形的形状，边长为90.8米和91.6米。注重朝向世界各方的角落。墙壁安全性良好，高度达7-8米。它们是双层的；中间设有走廊。墙壁建在土坯基座上，高度为3.2米，有些地方高达5米。墙壁是从基座上方的砖块砌起的。入口位于东南墙的中间，由两座相对而立的矩形塔楼（12米×6米）保护。外墙和塔楼被箭形箭孔切割成一条直线。

堡垒的庭院几乎没有任何建筑。水井就竖立在庭院的中间。

　　库尔加辛卡拉

这座堡垒呈矩形，尺寸为132.9×89.2米，其四个角朝向世界的不同方向。堡垒的墙壁为双层；有些地方的高度保持在14-16米。墙壁厚度为2.35米。射击走廊的宽度也为2.35米。它由土坯块和砖块交替建造而成。墙壁的角落处设有三座塔楼，每座塔楼旁边还有一座矩形塔楼，中间略呈椭圆形。墙壁和塔楼的顶部设有箭孔形状的防护系统。

入口位于东南墙的中间，是一座矩形结构的带防护前门建筑。与古花拉子模的其他防御工事不同，库尔加申卡拉四周被防护墙（proteihizm）环绕，防护墙（除西南面外）由方形砖块砌成。

贾伯斯卡拉

这座堡垒呈矩形（200х170米），面向世界。与花拉子模的其他堡垒不同，詹巴斯-卡拉堡垒没有塔楼。大门位于西北部，由长65.2米、宽20米的矩形前门建筑保护。防御墙高达9-10米。墙体为双层，顶部设有箭形走廊。墙体采用土坯墙（pahsa）和砖墙交替铺设。从街道两侧望去，堡垒的所有区域均为住宅区，与图普拉克卡拉堡垒一样，由两到八个住宅区组成，每个住宅区包含150到200间房间。

城市中的房屋和街区之间的区别仅在于它们并未被加固。城市的保护功能是通过其外部防御系统来实现的。

Djanbas Qala有两座山丘，城市中独特的宽阔街道便横跨于这两座山丘之间。在Djanbas Qala的城墙内，每两座大型建筑之间，砖块上的标记（tamga）各不相同，这证明了存在世袭的划分——即分区。

古花拉子模城市聚落中的重要元素是位于街道起点对面部分的“火宅”。

Description

　　Desert Castles of Ancient Khorezm consists of following: Toprak Qala, Ayaz Qala, Koy-Kirilgan Qala, Big Guldursun fortress, Pil Qala, Anka Qala, Kurgashin Qala and Djanbas Qala.

　　TOPRAK QALA

　　Site of ancient settlement Toprak Qala occupies the area of 500 х 350 m. (17 hectares) in rectangular form. It is surrounded by the fortification walls, which have preserved in the form of shaft, reaching the 8-9 m. height in some places. The walls strengthened by the numerous quadrangular towers with oval corners and led round with wide ditch. Originally, walls were in two floors with corridors and vaulted ceiling on the ground floor, and arrow-shaped loopholes - on the second.

　　The entrance of the site of ancient settlement was in the middle of the southern fortification, in the form of complex gate's constructions. The citadel located in the northern part of the site of ancient settlement where palace was with 80х80 m. area. It was built on the platform. The general view of the palace represents the form of the truncated pyramid and reaches 14,3 m. height.

　　Facades have been decorated by the system of vertical ledges and niches, covered by alabaster of whitewashing.

　　Until now has partially preserved about 100 rooms of the ground floor of the central file and some rooms of the second floor. Walls of premises were preserved almost on the full height. Ceilings were as vaulted, and beam-type, supported by columns.

　　Excavation discovered the rests of the palace archive, warehouses of the weapon, room of ablution, two-chamber sanctuaries with altars and niches, inscriptions with the stage of mourning of the late.

　　The most part of the palace was occupied with the complex of front rooms and sanctuaries connected with aspects of an imperial cult. Inscriptions and clay bas-reliefs have decorated the walls.

　　The most valuable is «Hall of tsars» - dynastic sanctuary in which on an altar burned fire before big images of 23 tsars of Khorezm, (sculptures were full volumetric). They settled down on sufas (bench). Besides, there was «Hall of Victories» with images on the walls, in the form of the bas-reliefs sitting tsars and soaring near them of goddesses. There was a hall and «Black soldiers» with images of tsars and the black soldiers blown glory to tsars. «The hall of deer» was decorated with figures of these animals. The hall of «Dancing masks» partially has preserved on walls of the image in pairs men and women. In this temple part of the palace have been found out Ancient Khorezm written documents.

　　AYAZ QALA

　　Site of ancient settlement Ayaz Qala has a quadrangular layout with the parts of 182х152 m. focused on the sites of the world. It constructed at the flattop of the hill and surrounded by multi meter breakages from three parts. The internal layout is absent. The walls, preserved places up to 10 m., have constructed from adobe brick in the size of 46х32-46х10-13 cm. Ayaz Qala is a group of widespread on wide plain at bottom of Ayaz Qala's rocks, large not strengthened country manors, each of them consists from huge, surrounded by the low brick wall, court yard, deprived traces of the building and, probably sometime occupied by the gardens.

　　The house consists of 10-15 rooms. This place of dwelling has already allocated from tribal community of separate patriarchal family. Among the group of manors, three of them are sharply marked out. First, the huge fortress is Ayaz-1 with the extensive empty courtyard, surrounded by the mighty wall with the towers with gate labyrinths, not conceding to the walls of Antique cities of Khorezm. The grandiose similar manor is located in the northwest corner of settlement. On the cone-shaped rock towering at the bottom of the hill Ayaz Qala, rise effective ruins of the castle- Ayaz-2, modernized in V-VII centuries but constructed in Kushan period. At last, above everything, on breakage of plateau Ayaz Qala on the adjoining settlement, are located majestic ruins of perfectly preserved fortress Ayaz-1, with the numerous semicircular towers, strengthened by constructions with the arcade in the basis of walls, cut well in the center by rock, and nearby located antique tower.

　　KOY-KIRILGAN QALA

　　Koy-Kirilgan Qala represents ruins of round fortification form, diameter 90 m., focused by the entrance to the northeast. The monument completely excavated. The fortification construction consists of the big cylindrical building surrounded by the fortification wall, located from its basis on the 15 m distance. The functioning of the monument to the end of the long period, the closed space between the well-kept original form of the central building and fortification wall, completely has been built up in some circles. The monument has three building periods.

　　The central building belongs to the first, round form is a monumental construction, surrounded arrow shaped gallery with one line of loopholes, below on 9,7 - 3,9 m settled down 7 trapezoid windows. The height of the central building reaches up to 8,5 m., the base of the diameter is 44,5 m. The walls are built from pahsa (adobe wall) in alternation with adobe brick. The thickness of the walls in the basis is 7,2 m. The building consisted of two - storey. The entrance was from the east side.

　　The second construction period is characterized by the construction of external ring building.

　　Building of the space concerns to the third construction period between the central building and external wall.

　　BIG GULDURSUN

　　Archeological monument of Guldursun consists of two independent objects. Big Guldursun represents the most attractive in the historical and town-planning aspect. It is the largest boundary fortress of Khorezm XII-XIII centuries, constructed on the base of desolation of the antique fortress. The monument represents a wrong rectangular form in the size of 350х230 m. focused by corners on the sites of the world. The entrance is located in the middle of the southeast wall. Antique walls and towers have been built up in the socle part from pahsa (adobe wall), and above from the adobe bricks. The walls were preserved almost on all height reaching 15 m. in some places and make the basic file of the medieval fortification. In the cut section of the wall, the remains of bygone antique wall with loopholes were preserved.

　　The fortification of the fortress has strengthened by construction of the front wall barrier with the second line of the panel towers, flanked approach to the wall. Front gate construction became a semi circle form. According to that medieval fortress has been weekly to wall in inside, unlike of fortified cities of the antique period, it played only strategic role.

　　PIL QALA

　　Site of ancient settlement is similar to the square form with size of 230х227 m. sides also is focused on the sides of the world. The walls have preserved in the form of strong mud-stream. The traces of the internal layout were not preserved. Archeological excavations have shown that shaft hide inside of themselves the bottom parts of double walls with shooting corridors between them. They were constructed from pahsa (adobe wall) and reach the 1,8 - 2,4 m. width. The width of the shooting corridor is 2,3 - 2,4 m. The walls have been strengthened by semi oval towers which built from adobe brick in alternation with pahsa. Size of slope walls are reached to 10 m. The southwest corner of the fortress is strengthened by the rectangular covering tower in the size of 17х17 m. The wall were preserved 11 m. in the height and 6,5 m. in the thickness.

　　ANKA QALA

　　Anka Qala is the fortification construction on the caravan way leading both from the east to the west, and from the west to the east.

　　It has plan similar to the form of the square with the sizes on the sides 90,8 х 91,6 m. focused on corners to the sides of the world. The walls of good safety, reach the height 7-8 m. They are double; between them installed the corridor. Walls are erected on adobe socle in the height of 3,2 m., and in some places up to 5 m. The walls have erected from the bricks above the socle. The entrance is in the middle of the southeast walls and protected by the two rectangular towers (12 х 6 m.) put against each other. The external walls and towers are cut in one line by loopholes arrow-type form.

　　The courtyard of the fortress is almost free from building. The well was erected in the middle of the courtyard.

　　KURGASHIN QALA

　　The fortress in the rectangular form with sizes of 132,9х89,2 m. focused corners to the sides of the world. The walls are double; some places have preserved on the height 14-16 m. The thickness of the walls is 2,35 m. The width of the shooting corridor is 2,35 m. It constructed from adobe blocks in alternation with the brick. The walls have been flanked on the corners with three towers and with one by one rectangular tower, slightly oval in the middle. The top part of walls and towers has system of protection in the form of loopholes arrow-shaped forms.

　　The entrance is in the middle of the southeast wall and protected front gate construction of the rectangular form. Unlike from other fortifications of Ancient Khorezm, Kurgashin Qala was surrounded by the barrier wall - proteihizm, from the different sides (except for southwest) constructed from a square brick.

　　DJANBAS QALA

　　Rectangular form of the fortress (200х170 m.) is focused on the sides of the world. Unlike of all other fortresses of Khorezm, Djanbas-Qala differs by the absence of towers. The gate is located from the northwest part and protected by the rectangular front gate construction with the length of 65,2 m. and width of 20 m. The safety of fortification walls reaches 9-10 m. The walls are two-tiered, top arrow-shaped gallery. The laying of the walls combined - pahsa (adobe wall) alternates with brick. From the both parts of street all area of the fortress is built up by the habitation, consisting, as well as in Tuprak Qala from two up to eight houses-blocks, each of them includes from 150 to 200 rooms.

　　The city houses-blocks differ only that they are not strengthened. Functions of the protection are realized by the external defensive system of the city.

　　There are two massifs in Djanbas Qala, the unique wide street of the city was stretched between them. In the walls of Djanbas Qala precincts to each of two big buildings, tamga - marks on the bricks were different, that testifies about existence of patrimonial divisions - partition.

　　The important element of city settlement of antique Khorezm is «House of fire» located in the opposite part from the beginning of the street.