The early 16th century garden of abdallah al-arab al-yamani al-hadramauti In the vicinity of medieval sauran (Turkestan region)
Аннотация
This article comments on the preliminary results from the analysis of a series of aerial photographs along with a ground survey of an outstanding cultural monument in Kazakhstan — the garden that belonged to an influential Sufi sheikh of Yemeni descent located near the medieval city of Sauran. Despite its importance and excellent preservation, the monument has yet to be excavated. Our joint project with E. A. Smagulov failed to receive financial support in 2015. A series of plant pollen analyses from the garden’s soil which was taken from an irrigation ditch has not yet been organized. Two phases for the residential estate have been identified, first,one from the 15th century and the other from the early 16th century (illustrations 5-6). Initially, a group of families from the sheikh’s relatives, who had several small gardens, probably lived at the site. Soon afterward,Sheikh Mir-i Arab created a fortified house with a treasury and a large 800 x 470 m garden nearby. It was divided into a southern section with the rows of fruit trees and a northern section containing a flower garden (bustan). In the center of the southern section was a reflective pool and to the south lay an area for recreation
and the reception of visitors. In 1515, this sheikh’s residence was destroyed by his political opponents. The surface of the garden has hardly been disturbed since that period and it is a uniquely preserved site in the western part of Central Asia.