Ayaz Kale
Coordinates: 42 ° 0 ′ 35 ″ N , 61 ° 1 ′ 38 ″ E
Ayaz Kale (also Ayaz-Kala or Ayaz-Qala ) in Uzbekistan , is a group of clay fortresses in Khorezm . They date to the centuries shortly after the birth of Christ.
The complex is located on the edge of the Kyzylkum desert about 70 km from Urgench and consists of three fortresses; a lower, middle and upper fortress. The middle and upper fortresses are on natural elevations. They were built between the 4th century BC. And the 7th century AD, with the upper fortress being the oldest. They served to protect the local population from raids by nomads. At that time there was an oasis in their immediate vicinity. The fortresses have been uninhabited for about 1300 years. In the 1940s they were rediscovered and uncovered by the archaeologist Sergei Pavlovich Tolstov .
According to the World Monuments Fund , the excavated structures are threatened by erosion and the surge in tourism.
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Web links
- Ayaz-Kala on the World Monuments Fund (Engl.)
- heritageinstitute.com (Eng.)