Gyaur Qalʿ a: un caso di rilettura e analisi del dato archeologico sulla scorta delle fonti

Resumen

This paper focuses on the patterns of settlements of the Marw Oasis, Turkmenistan, during “Late Sasanian” (Vth-VIIth centuries) and “Early Islamic” (7th-8th centuries) periods. The following contribution shows some original and unpublished results about the site of Gyuar Qalʿa, ab origine the ancient Antiochia Margiana, then, during Sasanian period, an important shahrestān (provincial capital) of Central Asia. The settlement ofthe first muslims in the ancient Sasanian city during the 7th-8th centuries is reassessed according to the comparisons between different data: the most recent archaeological results —particularly from International Merv Project directed by Georgina Herrmann (1993-2001)—. Le Strange translations of some islamic geographers and the direct reading and interpretation of al-Muqaddasī. What is new is the identification of the city gates quoted by al-Iṣṭakhrī, Ibn Ḥawqal and most importantly al-Muqaddasī —three geographers living during the 10th century— as urban gates belonging to the walls of Gyuar Qalʿa. This result allows to verify that still during the Islamic period (10th century) the ancient Sasanian city and its infrastructures were still in use.