Formation of the Topography and Developmental Dynamics of the Kitab-Shahrisabz Oasis

This study examines the formation of the historical topography and the developmental dynamics of the Kitab-Shahrisabz Oasis in southern Central Asia from antiquity to the early twentieth century. The aim is to reconstruct the principal stages of urban development of Kitab and Shahrisabz and to clarify the historical relationship between these two urban centers and the ancient city of Kesh. The study is based on archaeological, topographical, architectural, historical, and ethnographic evidence obtained through field investigations and the analysis of published and archival sources. Particular attention is given to the results of the Kesh Archaeological and Topographical Expedition (KATE), whose investigations in the 1960s provided important evidence for the reconstruction of the ancient and medieval urban landscape.

The archaeological evidence indicates that the earliest urban development within modern Kitab dates to the third-second centuries BCE, while the ancient settlement reached its peak during the Kushan-Kangju period. The remains of defensive walls, the citadel at Qalandar-tepa, cultural deposits, ceramics, coins, and architectural materials demonstrate the long-term continuity and transformation of the settlement. In contrast, archaeological evidence from Shahrisabz indicates predominantly rural occupation during the Early Medieval period, with intensive urban development beginning in the ninth–twelfth centuries. The study therefore supports the hypothesis that ancient Kesh was located on the site of modern Kitab rather than Shahrisabz. At the same time, the subsequent transfer of the political and economic center to Shahrisabz contributed to its transformation into a major urban, cultural, and architectural center under the Timurids.