Search results for ""author t. a. sinclair""

In this third volume the regions covered are to the south and east of the Taurus range, beginning with the Upper and Lower Euphrates, which includes the Byzantine and Turkish buildings of Harput, Malatya and the Keban region, where there are also a number of churches and monastic sites. The following section, on the Tigris region, runs from the Taurus to the Tur 'Abdin, a historic centre of Syrian monasticism. In Diyarbakr and Mardin there are many important Christian and Islamic monuments. This was the centre of the medieval Artukid kingdom.

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The initial section here covers the monuments of the important Hellenistic kingdom of Commagene, and includes Edessa (Urfa), the capital of a Crusader state, where there are also significant Islamic buildings. The final section, on the Hatay, focuses on the city of Antioch, with Seleucid, Roman and Byzantine remains, and the castles of the Crusader period in its vicinity. The neo-Hittite site of Karatepe and the Georgian and Syrian monasteries in the Hatay region are also dealt with. A comprehensive bibliography and index to all four volumes comes at the end.

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Civilizations of great diversity have succeeded each other or co-existed in Eastern Turkey, and most of them have left monuments of high quality. Hittite, Urartian, Hellenistic, Roman, Syrian, Byzantine, Armenian, Arab, Seljuk and Ottoman, their remains are all represented in the region. These include some of the most important sites in Near Eastern archaeology, in regions in and near the heartland of the Hittite and Urartian cultures. The Hellenistic cities reflect the introduction of a new civilization, and the Roman and Byzantine empires included all or part of the region, with the prosperous feudal states of Georgia and Armenia on their borders. Besides the Byzantine, three great East Christian monastic traditions, Syrian, Georgian and Armenian, flourished here from the late fourth century onwards, and their monuments have left a permanent mark on the landscape. The Seljuk invasion, followed by the more recent period of Ottoman rule, led to the imposition of a new culture on the region, and its reflection in the monuments. Some of the finest Seljuk buildings are in Eastern Turkey, and the buildings of the Turkish states east of the Seljuk empire form much of the early history of Turkish architecture. The independent Greek empire of Trebizond and two of the four Crusader states lay in Eastern Turkey. The lands of the empires and the smaller medieval states were heavily fortified, and their castles and other fortifications are now spread over the region. The cultural diversity of its inheritance has made Eastern Turkey one of the most fascinating regions for archaeological and art-historical research. These four volumes provide the first comprehensive guide to all of the important historical sites of the region, the result of eight years of travel and research. The monuments are dealt with by geographical location, including a full description of each site, and details on how it can be reached. In the case of the more important monuments, a full bibliography of earlier work is provided. The ample provision of photographs and plans enhances the value of the author's detailed descriptions.

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This second volume continues with a description of the fine Georgian monuments of the Tao region, including Ihan, Ök Vank, and Haho. The Pontus region comes next, the centre of the medieval Greek empire of Trebizond. The many Byzantine churches of Trabzon itself are covered, including Aya Sofya and the nearby monasteries of Sumela and Vazelon. The many surviving churches and castles of this period and later in the Pontus are also dealt with. There follows a survey of the early Turkish architecture of Erzurum and the surrounding district. The subsequent section, on Sivas and Tokat, deals with a rich selection of Seljuk monuments; the site of ancient Comana is also covered. The region of the Anti-Taurus contains interesting Byzantine castles. There are also Early Christian remains and medieval castles. The volume concludes with a study of the early Turkish monuments of the Upper Euphrates, in Divrigi and Erzincan, and the border castles of the 9th and 10th centuries.

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