Roads and Routes in Northwestern and Adjoining Parts of Central Asia Minor: From the Romans to Byzantium, with Some Remarks on their Fate during the Ottoman Period up to the 17th Century
The paper examines the development of roads in northwestern (and parts of Central) Asia Minor from the Roman to the Byzantine period, pointing also to some changes in the Turkish period until about the 17th century. There was a remarkable continuity regarding the main routes of long distance traffic...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | deu |
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Akdeniz University
2020-11-01
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| Series: | Gephyra |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/gephyra/issue/56927/742745?publisher=nalan-eda-akyurek-sahin |
| _version_ | 1797914108792668160 |
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| author | Klaus Belke |
| author_facet | Klaus Belke |
| author_sort | Klaus Belke |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The paper examines the development of roads in northwestern
(and parts of Central) Asia Minor from the Roman to the Byzantine period, pointing
also to some changes in the Turkish period until about the 17th century. There
was a remarkable continuity regarding the main routes of long distance traffic,
but these routes could change in detail, corresponding to different military
and economic focuses and needs. Design and building techniques of the roads
changed, depending on the economic resources the state was able to spend and
above all on the change from wagons and carts to pack animals. Neglect of the
wide, paved long-distance roads of the Roman imperial period at the end of
antiquity was linked to the gradual decrease of vehicular traffic in Asia
Minor. By the sixth century AD, travel and transport relied on mounts and pack
animals, except for some short-distance trans-portation on simple oxcarts.
Roads were adapted to these means of transport and became narrower and stepped
at steep passages.
From the seventh century onwards, following the loss of the
eastern provinces and during the nearly annual Arab invasions of Anatolia, the
Byzantines chose routes that were partly different from the main routes of the
Roman period and Late Antiquity, but which mostly were also inherited from
their Roman predecessors. The main routes through Asia Minor were generally
maintained in an acceptable order, but very few really new roads were built.
After the Seljuk conquests roads became insecure
again. The main lines of communication did not change, at least not in regions
under Byzantine control. The Ottomans took over most of the roads used by the
Byzantines for their military campaigns and for trade. It seems, however, that
they were readier to build at least a limited number of entirely new roads.
Their building techniques more or less followed the examples of their Byzantine
predecessors. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T12:21:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f218ed326dbe4931bdab852497707630 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1309-3924 2651-5059 |
| language | deu |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T12:21:44Z |
| publishDate | 2020-11-01 |
| publisher | Akdeniz University |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Gephyra |
| spelling | doaj.art-f218ed326dbe4931bdab8524977076302023-02-15T16:15:26ZdeuAkdeniz UniversityGephyra1309-39242651-50592020-11-0120799810.37095/gephyra.742745324Roads and Routes in Northwestern and Adjoining Parts of Central Asia Minor: From the Romans to Byzantium, with Some Remarks on their Fate during the Ottoman Period up to the 17th CenturyKlaus BelkeThe paper examines the development of roads in northwestern (and parts of Central) Asia Minor from the Roman to the Byzantine period, pointing also to some changes in the Turkish period until about the 17th century. There was a remarkable continuity regarding the main routes of long distance traffic, but these routes could change in detail, corresponding to different military and economic focuses and needs. Design and building techniques of the roads changed, depending on the economic resources the state was able to spend and above all on the change from wagons and carts to pack animals. Neglect of the wide, paved long-distance roads of the Roman imperial period at the end of antiquity was linked to the gradual decrease of vehicular traffic in Asia Minor. By the sixth century AD, travel and transport relied on mounts and pack animals, except for some short-distance trans-portation on simple oxcarts. Roads were adapted to these means of transport and became narrower and stepped at steep passages. From the seventh century onwards, following the loss of the eastern provinces and during the nearly annual Arab invasions of Anatolia, the Byzantines chose routes that were partly different from the main routes of the Roman period and Late Antiquity, but which mostly were also inherited from their Roman predecessors. The main routes through Asia Minor were generally maintained in an acceptable order, but very few really new roads were built. After the Seljuk conquests roads became insecure again. The main lines of communication did not change, at least not in regions under Byzantine control. The Ottomans took over most of the roads used by the Byzantines for their military campaigns and for trade. It seems, however, that they were readier to build at least a limited number of entirely new roads. Their building techniques more or less followed the examples of their Byzantine predecessors.https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/gephyra/issue/56927/742745?publisher=nalan-eda-akyurek-sahinasia minorroma, bizans ve osmanlı yollarıyol yapım tekniğiyol yüzeyleritrafik araçlarıroma’dan osmanlı’ya kadar olan iletişim yollarının geliştirilmesiasia minormeans of trafficroman, byzantine and ottoman roadsroad building techniqueroad surfacesdevelopment of communication routes from roman to ottoman |
| spellingShingle | Klaus Belke Roads and Routes in Northwestern and Adjoining Parts of Central Asia Minor: From the Romans to Byzantium, with Some Remarks on their Fate during the Ottoman Period up to the 17th Century Gephyra asia minor roma, bizans ve osmanlı yolları yol yapım tekniği yol yüzeyleri trafik araçları roma’dan osmanlı’ya kadar olan iletişim yollarının geliştirilmesi asia minor means of traffic roman, byzantine and ottoman roads road building technique road surfaces development of communication routes from roman to ottoman |
| title | Roads and Routes in Northwestern and Adjoining Parts of Central Asia Minor: From the Romans to Byzantium, with Some Remarks on their Fate during the Ottoman Period up to the 17th Century |
| title_full | Roads and Routes in Northwestern and Adjoining Parts of Central Asia Minor: From the Romans to Byzantium, with Some Remarks on their Fate during the Ottoman Period up to the 17th Century |
| title_fullStr | Roads and Routes in Northwestern and Adjoining Parts of Central Asia Minor: From the Romans to Byzantium, with Some Remarks on their Fate during the Ottoman Period up to the 17th Century |
| title_full_unstemmed | Roads and Routes in Northwestern and Adjoining Parts of Central Asia Minor: From the Romans to Byzantium, with Some Remarks on their Fate during the Ottoman Period up to the 17th Century |
| title_short | Roads and Routes in Northwestern and Adjoining Parts of Central Asia Minor: From the Romans to Byzantium, with Some Remarks on their Fate during the Ottoman Period up to the 17th Century |
| title_sort | roads and routes in northwestern and adjoining parts of central asia minor from the romans to byzantium with some remarks on their fate during the ottoman period up to the 17th century |
| topic | asia minor roma, bizans ve osmanlı yolları yol yapım tekniği yol yüzeyleri trafik araçları roma’dan osmanlı’ya kadar olan iletişim yollarının geliştirilmesi asia minor means of traffic roman, byzantine and ottoman roads road building technique road surfaces development of communication routes from roman to ottoman |
| url | https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/gephyra/issue/56927/742745?publisher=nalan-eda-akyurek-sahin |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT klausbelke roadsandroutesinnorthwesternandadjoiningpartsofcentralasiaminorfromtheromanstobyzantiumwithsomeremarksontheirfateduringtheottomanperioduptothe17thcentury |