Stone-Made Architectural Décor Details from the Golden Horde Town of Azak

Abstract

This work introduces a collection of stone-made architectural details and decorations found in the course of archaeological research of the Golden Horde town of Azak. When analyzing the architectural decorations, the main attention was paid to the search for analogies in the regions which were part of the Azak's trade and cultural relations. The work describes the peculiarities of ornamentation, construction methods and chronological attribution of the complexes where the finds were discovered. Close cultural connections were revealed between the local masters and the builders from the Golden Horde Crimea who, in turn, adopted the traditions from Seljuk architects who moved to the peninsula in the middle of the 13th century. It became possible to identify a local tradition of stone carving with no analogies in other Golden Horde towns and neighboring regions.

Keywords

• archaeology
• golden horde
• azak
• seljuks
• architectural décor detail
• pylon
• marble
• mosque
• relief
• palmette