Toprak-kala fortress (Earth city)

Toprak-kala fortress (Earth city)

Toprak-kala fortress is located in Ellik-kala district of the Republic of Karakalpakstan in 12 kilometers from Buston settlement (27 kilometers from Biruni city) and it is the most magnificent and valuable among other fortresses of ancient Khorezm. In 1938 a famous Soviet archaeologist S.P.Tolstov, during execution prospecting works in 50 kilometers from the right bank of Amudarya, discovered the ruins of ancient city with area of 17 hectares, walled 20 meters height and 12 meters thickness. So Toprak-kala or Earth city was opened, which was the capital of dynasty, ruled in Khorezm in II-III centuries AD. 

Toprak-kala was the residence of Khorezm khan. A spacious castle, with area 500x350 m, in the shape of rectangle was drawn from North to South. The territory of city was walled with squared towers, located every 10-12 meters. Two storeyed defensive galleries were inside walls. Lower gallery was for hidden movement and rest of warriors, and upper was a fighting one. The defence of city was from here through sagittate gun slots. The height of walls was more 14 meters. For more fortification effect, the territory under walls changed into deep “pockets-traps” thorough flanking fire. It was achieved by building the towers in almost 9 meters from the wall. 

A characteristic phenomenon of that military thought was a construction of fosses under fortified walls as an additional barrier. The fosse of Toprak-kala surrounded city walls from all sides and was made in 15 meters from walls. Its width was 16 meters, and the depth was 3 meters. The only entrance to the city was in the center of the southern wall. Usually city gates were the weakest place during the defence, that is why, builders of Toprak-kala made a special entrance as a fortification with the corridor like elbow labyrinth. 

Interior building is also original. A central wide (10 meters) front street line, made from the North to the South to city gates, cut the city into two parts, a cross grid of streets divided urban development to 10 blocks, one of them was patronal, others – residential. As it turned out, there were about 150-200 living and utility spaces, which made up from three to six housing estates. On Toprak-kala, the borders of blocks were behind houses, directed to different sides of the street. Housing areas, surrounded by dead walls, had individual exits to inner block street. Each block had its small sanctuary. There were traces of handicraft (ruins of bronze foundry, workshops of bows and etc.) The population of Toprak-kala was about 2,5 thousand of adults. The most of them worked in guarding and servicing of the palace.