Reconstruction an Assumptive Plan of the Soltanieh Historical City, based on the Matrakci Miniature and the Historical Documents

Abstract
Recognition of the historical cities in different periods recounts the history of Iranian-Islamic civilization that access to such information requires studying the structure of their architecture and urbanization. The historical city of Soltaniyeh, as the third capital of the Ilkhanate, was one of the most important political and economic centers of its time, and today only the boundaries of the monuments of the old city can be identified. Aiming to create the right context for recreation and protection of the remains of Soltaniyeh, this study identifies the spatial structure of this city, which is one of the most basic proceedings for its optimal expansion. According to the mentioned necessity, the present article, using analytical-comparative study, attempts to present the assumptive plan of the spatial structure of Soltaniyeh city by investigating historical documents, in particular, Matrakci Miniature. The results of the study, implicates to a premeditated and predesigned plan which include three parts: ancient fort, middle citadel, or downtwon, and Rabaz, each of which has a definite architectural and urbanization component. Throughout history, urban elements, which mentioned more than others in the documents, have faced the least amount of damage to date (like the Oljeitu Tomb with 46.66% repetition in resources), or it was possible to identify their exact location (like the city’s middle tower and battlement with 40% repetition in resources), and they are still visible today. Urban elements that have the least repetition rate (6.66%) or they are indexed only in one document, have no precise location in the assumptive plan. Other urban elements which have been repeated in more than one historical document (With percentages between 6.66% and 40%), due to the availability of analytical-comparative study conditions, are located in the assumptive plan and it seems possible that they can be recreated in the current situation with the help of experts.
Keywords: Soltaniyeh City, Urban Structure, Matrakci Miniature, Assumptive Plan.
 
Introduction
The requirement of utilizing previous architectural and urbanization experiences and today and tomorrow’s relations, doubles the necessity of recognizing historical cities. Meanwhile, we can mention Soltaniyeh city, which contains the remains of the Ilkhanate capital and today, most of the city’s buildings are buried, but their ranges can be recognized. 
At first glance, the discussion of urbanization and civil activities during the domination of the Mongol Ilkhanate (654-750 AH) seems strange because everyone considers the Mongol people as anti-civilization and anti-urban people who have been Bedouin(nomad), shepherds and avoiding living in urban. In their view, urbanization had caused weakness, and its luxuries could weaken their morale. However, over time, following the change in the lifestyle of the Mongols, urbanization evolved from city-oasis to city-pastureland (Blair, 1986: 139). The development of cities centered on large-scale buildings, in the form of cities and towns, was largely in line with the Ilkhanate government’s policies. The Mongol Ilkhanate first chose Maragheh and next Tabriz as their capital, and then the idea of creating a city that symbolizes the empire of these nomads encouraged them to build Soltaniyeh. Due to the necessity of recognizing the characteristics of historical cities, especially the importance of Soltaniyeh city, research purposes in response to this question that “How is the spatial structure of the Soltaniyeh city based on the teachings of architecture and urbanization mentioned in historical documents?” are compiled as follows. 
The main purpose of the research: the present research will be to guess the physical structure of Soltaniyeh city by matching historical texts and visual documents and to present an assumptive plan of it at the peak of its glory.
Secondary purpose of the research: In order to achieve the main goal and recreate the assumptive plan at the peak of the glory of Soltaniyeh city, the functions, uses, architectural and urbanization teachings of Soltaniyeh city will be extracted.
 
Formation of the Soltaniyeh city in the Ilkhanate period - before Oljeitu
Historical texts have attributed the foundation of the footstone of Soltaniyeh building in 680 AH to Arghun Khan (683-690 AH), which was developed, expanded, and completed by his son Oljeitu (703-716 AH). Hamdollah Mostofi considers the initial battlement of the city to be 12,000 steps (about 8640 meters). 
Expansion of the Soltaniyeh city in the Ilkhanate period –at the age of Oljeitu 
The order of preparation of the Soltaniyeh city’s map was issued by Oljeitu. According to historical texts and the discoveries of archeological excavations, this city has three main parts:
• The first and inner part of the city, including the king’s dormitory or according to the common term of Ilkhanate cities, has been an ancient fort city with a battlement of 2,000 steps (approximately 1440 meters of battlement), which is assumed to be square, the dimensions of each side is about 360 meters.
• The second part of the city, the area within the 12,000-step battlement (approximately 8,640 meters of battlement environment), dates back to the age of Arghun, with dimensions of about 2160 meters on each side, and most likely included the central part of the city. Most of the constructions in this period were located within the mentioned battlement.
• The third and outer part of the city was located inside the battlement of 30,000 steps (approximately 21,600 meters), which Oljeitu ordered to be built; however, due to his death, the battlement remained incomplete. It can be calculated that its dimensions are 5400 x 5400 meters and the width was between 3 and 5 meters
 
Reading the Matrakciminiature from Soltaniyeh city
Matrakci miniature (Drawn in 943 AH) provides significant information about the structure of the middle part of the city and the relevant buildings, which were drawn to the south-north. According to the miniature information and their accordance with historical texts, they have been identified in the inner battlement or ancient fort, threshold, the porch of Abu Sa’id, forum (courthouse), and Behesht mansion (the royal palace). In the middle part of the city, the tombs of Oljeitu, the complexes of Ggreatness pathways (Abvab-al-ber), the Grand Mosque, the bazaar, the residential districts, and the streets have been identified and located in the assumptive plan. In the following, the assumptive design of the structure of Soltaniyeh city, which is the result of the accordance of historical texts and miniature data, is presented.
The third and outer part of the city was located inside the battlement of 30,000 steps (approximately 21,600 meters), which Oljeitu ordered to be built; however, due to his death, the battlement remained incomplete. It can be calculated that its dimensions are 5400 x 5400 meters and the width was between 3 and 5 meters. 
 
Conclusion
Soltaniyeh city’s Space Organization is based on a pre-designed plan, built-in three parts in a checkered and regular manner:
• The outer part or “Rabaz”, which includes a battlement of about 21600 meters and twelve towers around it.
• The middle part or “downtown” with a fence of about 8640 meters and sixteen towers around it
• The inner part, “ancient fort” or “Royal Citadel” is about 1440 meters
 According to the information of Table 4, the urban elements that have had the most repetition in the documents have faced the least damage to date (like the tomb of Oljeitu and the tomb of Chalabi oghlou), or it was possible to identify their precise location (such as the tower and the middle battlement of the city). Elements that had repeated the least in historical documents and could not be studied; they do not have a precise location in the presented assumptive plan. Other urban elements that have been repeated in more than one historical document are located in the assumptive plan, and it seems possible to recreate them in the current situation.