Ark

Practise day 3/ 25.05.2022 

 Ark

 

The Ark of Bukhara is a massive fortress located in the city of Bukhara, Uzbekistan, that was initially built and occupied around the 5th century AD. In addition to being a military structure, the Ark encompassed what was essentially a town that, during much of the fortress's history, was inhabited by the various royal courts that held sway over the region surrounding Bukhara. The Ark was used as a fortress until it fell to Russia in 1920. Currently, the Ark is a tourist attraction and houses museums covering its history.

    The museums and other restored areas include Archaeological museum, Throne room, Reception and Coronation court, local history museum and the Court mosque.The Ark is a large earthen fortification located in the northwestern part of contemporary Bukhara. In layout, it resembles a modified rectangle, a little elongated from the west to the east. The perimeter of the external walls is 789.6 m (2,591 ft), the area enclosed being 3.96 ha (9.8 acres). The height of the walls varies from 16 to 20 m (52 to 66 ft).The ceremonial entrance into the citadel is architecturally framed by two 18th-century towers. 

                                                                     (#the exterior side of Ark)

 

The upper parts of the towers are connected by a gallery, rooms, and terraces. A gradually rising ramp leads through a winch-raised portal and a covered long corridor to the mosque of Dzhuma. The covered corridor offers access to storerooms and prison cells. In the center of the Ark is located a large complex of buildings, one of the best-preserved being the mosque of Ul'dukhtaron, which is connected to legends of forty girls tortured and cast into a well.In legend, the creator of the Ark was the epic hero Siyavusha.

          

      (#from the sketchbook of Karl )                              (#coversation with Karl from Canada)

  

 As a youth, he hid in the rich oasis country of Turana from his stepmother. Siyavusha and the daughter of the local ruler of Afrosiaba fell in love. The girl's father agreed to permit them to marry provided that Siyavusha would first build a palace in the area bounded by a bull skin, obviously intended as an impossible task. But Siyavusha cut the bull skin into slender strips, connected the ends, and inside this boundary built the palace. (This is essentially the classical legend of Dido and the founding of Carthage in North Africa, as recorded in antiquity.)The Ark is built on the remains of earlier structures, which constitute a layer twenty meters deep under the base arch, the layers indicating that previous fortresses had been built and destroyed on the site.

 

 

The first known reference to the Ark is contained in the "History of Bukhara" by Narshakhi (899 - 960). Abubakra wrote "Bindu, the ruler of Bukhara, built this fortress, but it soon was destroyed. Many times it was constructed, many times destroyed." Abubakra says that when the last ruler to rebuild asked counsel of his wise men, they advised him to construct the fortress around seven points, located in the same relation to each other as the stars of the constellation Ursa Major. Thus built, the fortress was never again destroyed.

The age of the Ark has not been established accurately, but by 500 CE it was already the residence of local rulers. Here, in the fastness of the citadel, lived the emirs, their chief viziers, military leaders, and numerous servants.When the soldiers of Genghis Khan took Bukhara, the inhabitants of the city found refuge in the Ark, but the conquerors smashed the defenders and ransacked the fortress.

In the Middle Ages the fortress was worked on by Rudaki, Ferdowsi, Avicenna, Farabi, and later Omar Khayyám. Here also was kept a great library, of which Avicenna wrote:

I found in this library such books, about which I had not known and which I had never before seen in my life. I read them, and I came to know each scientist and each science. Before me lay gates of inspiration into great depths of knowledge which I had not surmised to exist.Most probably, the library was destroyed following one of the conquests of Bukhara.

    

During the Russian Civil War, the Ark was greatly damaged by Red Army troops under the command of Mikhail Frunze during the 1920 Battle of Bukhara. Frunze ordered the Ark bombed by aircraft, which left a large part of the structure in ruins. There is also reason to believe that the last Emir, Mohammed Alim Khan (1880–1944), who escaped to Afghanistan with the royal treasury, ordered the Ark to be blown up so that its sacred places (especially the harem) could not be desecrated by the Bolsheviks.

Throne hall    

The Throne Hall the construction of the yard dates back to XVIIthcontury . In the courtyard there is a throne of a ruler the marble throne , made by the masters from Nurata district in 1669. Rulers sat on it , which is situated under a painted wooden canopy fixed to the carved marble columns . The throne hall hosted the coronation ceremony of Bukhara rulers . There is a treasury , located in the basement with 30 x 30 meters area . Gold , silver and copper coins minted in the Mint of Ark fortress , were kept in the treasury

                                                    

Greeting courtyard

 

(#Entrance to museum)

Greeting courtyard this courtyard hosted the greeting ceremony of Bukhara rulers . By the early 1920 one had got an access to the greeting courtyard through the throne hall . Entering the yard , they waited in a pending queue to greet the king . Daily 300-400 people participated in this ceremony to greet the kind .

Inside of the Museum

   

 

     

Kushbeghi court building  (Prime minister) "Khowli Bierun"-outside yard

   

MILITARY TITLES , GOVERNMENT POSITIONS AND THEIR FUNCTIONS IN THE EMIRATE OF BUKHARA . In the Emirate of Bukhara a certain system of management c military forces was formed . Emir was the head of this managemer system . Even though he was considered official General Commander of the armed forces , the army was usually led by othe officers . According to written sources of 30s of xix century ther wеrе 19000 soldiers in the Emirate of Bukhara . " Topchiboshi " was considered the General Commander of the army during the reign Amir Nasrullakhan and after his reign too . In the middle of the xix century the unit of " topchi's and the unit of " sarboz " s became regular part of the army of The Emirate of Bukhara . " Topchiboshi was considered the most prestigious position in the Emirate . Th number of " topchi " s were 150-200 , and they were paid higher Salaries than other military personnel because they had to do mor difficult tasks . " Sarboz " s were considered ground unit ( a pedestrian , they did not ride horses ) of the army . " Onboshi's wa appointed from the best " sarboz " s , and they were special clothe with white belts . " Yuzboshi's woregolden sleeved long waistcoat made from velvet . Every unit of 500 soldiers and every unit of 100 soldiers was given flag ( tug and five colourful badges ) , and thes were kept by " yuzboshi " s . Besides this , there were positions of pansadboshi , yuzbosh ellikboshi , onboshi , and miroxor who were the head of units.In th Emirate of Bukhara in the first half of xix century a unit of 50 soldiers was led by " Pansodboshi " , a unit of 100 soldiers was led b " Yuzboshi " , a unit of 50 soldiers was led by " Panjaboshi " , a unit c 10 soldiers was led by " Dahboshi " . And the most prominer military titles were sarkarda , amirilashkar , dodxoh ( General c Army ) , quvonbegi , to'qsaboshi , mingboshi . The armies in suburba districts ( called Beklik ) were led by Bek ( mayor of that district himself) . The closest assistants of Bek were " yasovul " s led by " yasovulboshi " .Only mingboshi had the right of carrying flag ( tugchi ) . In the Emirate military titles , government positions and thei functions were put in special order which played major role in the management of government . This management system officially functioned in the Emirate o Bukhara as a sovereign country till the 20s of xx century .

Pensio KUSHBEGI COURT BUILDINGS ( PRIME MINISTER ) " KHOWLE BIERUN " -OUTSIDE YARD The gates of Kushbagi's court were closed from midnight until daws , and the visitor passed through Dolon , into a courtyand surrounded by buildings . On aither side of the pass were brick seats on which the apprenticas ( " Shogirdpasha " ) ast . On the loft are the apartments of the Russian Embassy and the apprentices ' rooms . Apprentice ( " Shogirdpesha " ) - a special part of the administrative servants , whics agu ranged from 20 to 70 years . In total , there ware 300-400 apprentices in the Ara citadal . 40 people were constantly in the service of the Emir , Every 10 days they changed . The hand of the apprentices was yasavul ( warlord ) . He obeyed directly to Kushbogi . One at the deputies of yasavul was - assistant ( nolb ) . Most of the employees 100 peoplet performed various Judi and were in constant departure : Russian officiale , together with representative sent by th authorities of tsarist Russia , ware sent to the far suburtis and handed over var commands as " messenger " orders and EMBASSY Through the gates of the Kushbegi courtyard one could pass into the corridor , The corridor surrounded by a courtyard on the Sjuth and West sides and consists of rooms intended for visiting representatives of the Russian Embassy and apprentices Special rooms for representatives of the Russian Embaxxy and Russion potical ambawwadors who came to meet Kunlibeg and the knir in the Ark citaal , ware built my Jonmirza Kushbogi The rooms , which previously were fatty wimple , wore expanded by Astankul Kushbegi in 1908 . There was a telephone room in the yard and two operators were on duty one after the other . The telephone was conducted from Kagan to Ark in 1900 and the connected to the palaces outside the city - Sitorw - i - Mokhi Khos , Shirbiddin , as well as buildings and Institutions in the city .

(#exit)

   

Zindon, Jail or Dungeon

                                                               (#entrance)

   

    IN 1842, THE BRITISH SOLDIERS Connolly and Stoddart were executed in front of the Ark Fortress in Bukhara. It was the grim finale to years of torture (for Stoddart - four years) in the Zindon prison located within the fortress. However, the most famous resident of Zindon was not a person, but a place: “the Bug Pit,” a four meter deep hole, accessible only by rope. This bleak pit is where Connolly and Stoddart spent their time in Zindon, while guards poured scorpions, bugs, and rodents onto their heads.

Stoddart suffered three years in the prison – more than one of which he whiled away in the Bug Pit - before Conolly was thrown down to join him; ironically, Conolly had the unfortunate fate of being sent to Bukhara to release Stoddart. They spent a year together in the Bug Pit, before the Emir finally had them executed.

 

    The soldiers were victims of what can only be described as extreme blunders of sociopolitical etiquette. Stoddart was tasked with delivering a letter of reassurance to the Emir of Bukhara, stating that the British had no intention of continuing their invasion of Afghanistan into his kingdom. However, Stoddart had ridden into the castle on horseback rather than walking, and arrived without a gift for Nasrullah Khan, the Emir and an extremely brutal figure. Nicknamed “The Butcher,” Nasrullah was outraged at these indignities, and viewed the British Empire as a weakened nation after their defeat in Afghanistan.  Regarding the two Brits as worthless, he had them jailed, tortured, and executed. The British Empire did not respond.

Today, the Bug Pit is but one of many gruesome places in the Zindon prison, in which mannequins eerily portray the conditions of imprisonment. Much of the rest of the enormous Ark fortress was destroyed by the Red Army’s invasion in 1920, thereby putting an end to continual inhabitation of the fortress for more than 1,400 years.        

         

The end!!!