Transformation of urban centers in the middle reaches of the Arys river after the Arab conquest (Southern Kazakhstan)

Abstract

The cities of the Arys River valley have undergone major changes in their topography over the past two thousand years. Medieval urban centers in the south of Kazakhstan are the result of urbanization processes in the second half of the 1^st millennium – the beginning of the 2^nd millennium AD. The article presents data on the geography of the studied region, which is the middle reaches of the Arys River. The research methods are mainly related to the determination of morphological features of cities and urban centers of the high Middle Ages. The article also presents a brief analysis of the emergence of urban centers and the features of urbanization processes after the Arab conquest, namely changes in the topography of cities, the emergence of new structural elements. Special attention is paid to the topography of urban centers in the middle reaches of the Arys River – in the largest cities of the region, characteristic morphological elements of infrastructure appear in the form of mosques, bazaars and baths. At this time, fortification is becoming more developed, the largest cities are being surrounded by walls, and an attack warning system is functioning. In the high Middle Ages, due to the growth of the population and the cities themselves, production is divided and complex.