Building Descriptions - some of our more unique ones

**Teleklos Archelaou** · 02-23-2006, 21:49

With some factions we have fewer researchers in, and for some non-faction ones too, we have a harder time finding information for some of the unique buildings we have across the map. I'm wondering if anyone would like to help us with a few descriptions or some appropriate names. Please state here if you would like to, before submitting anything. And please try to keep any descriptions in the style of some of our other ones already in the game. If we can find some agreement on it we'll use them. This is not intended to be a arguing-ground for the merits of inclusion or exclusion of these unique buildings however.

Thanks for any interest and help!
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Current unique building needs:

1. Karahundj ("old"? Armenian name of site and description of site)
http://www.tacentral.com/karahundj/karahundj1.asp

2. Bab el Mandeb (early Arabic? name and description of ancient importance)

3. The Straits of Hormuz (early Arabic? name and description of ancient importance)

Megalithic Maltese Temples (Punic? appropriate name)
Sardinian Nuraghi (Punic? appropriate name)
Cyclopean Monuments of the Baleares (Punic? appropriate name)
Ustyurt Plateau Sanctuaries (?name)
Royal Skythian Tombs (?name)
Royal Sarmatian Tombs (?name)
Bet HaMikdash - Temple at Jerusalem (Greek name?)
Temple of Baalbek (Greek name?)

For those punic ones above, it's unlikely we could have an exact name, so something appropriately descriptive would work.

**Arman616** · 02-23-2006, 23:52

I will try to get some info on those. But "The Straits of Hormuz" is persian, and Hormuz is definitely persian.

**paullus** · 02-24-2006, 00:30

Would the Periplus Mare Erythrae (sp?) be of any use for bab el mandeb? I don't think there's much in there other than that its a difficult strait (its been a while since I read it though), and I guess its the wrong time and from the Greek perspective.

**Teleklos Archelaou** · 02-24-2006, 00:56

The Periplus would be great to pull information from for a description. I think Strabo mentions the names of the two capes on either side of the Bab el Mandeb too, but those are the types of things that would be great for a description.

As for the name of the Straits of Hormuz, we'd love to see any ancient references to it and its importance. We thought it was a strategic choke-point for trade and deserved a trade boost, but we just lack the information to put together a description for it.

**Reenk Roink** · 02-24-2006, 01:40

I'm gonna look through some of the EB descriptions, and then shotty the Temple Of Jerusalem...

**Teleklos Archelaou** · 02-24-2006, 01:48

Only the three at the top need descriptions. The ones at the bottom just need names.

**paullus** · 02-24-2006, 01:56

Strabo and the writer of the Periplus both just give the names of the mountains astride the strait of Hormuz: Asabon and Semirameos. The writer of the periplus doesn't give it much attention, except as the gateway to the Persian Gulf. In his time there must not have been a major (or even minor perhaps) trading post there (perhaps because of the mountains).

Bab el Mandeb is another story. Only I can't quite discern which sections are talking about it. Anyone know if Adulis is above or below the strait? I think its above, but then I run out of stadia before getting to the Horn. It may be that the west coast is around the Aualites, but I'm not sure. It seems like the independent trading city of Muza is near it, on the Arabian side, which would, by its nearness, make the Bab el Mandeb worth a trade bonus. And this in spite of the writer saying that the waters there are turbulent.

Edit: ok, did some comparisons, and Muza is near the strait, while Adulis is a little above it (a main site for ivory imports) and Aualites immediately below the strait (I think). The main points from the Periplus for Bab el Mandeb are:
1) the independent and important Arab trading city Muza (which sent out its own fleets to India and Further Africa)
2) that Further Africa (or the Far Side) gets started after the straits, so its a sort of frontier
3) the danger of the waters in the straits themselves.
4) it seems like Muza and a couple of posts further east on the Arabian peninsula were key posts for those wishing to go halfway on the India-Egypt route.
Do you think that's enough to try writing a description? I know nothing of Arabic or Sabaean sources about the area.

**Reenk Roink** · 02-24-2006, 02:03

Well Bet Ha-Knesset (House of Assembly) in Greek is "Synagogue" (not sure of exact greek spelling)...I'll try to find the appropriate translation for Bet Ha-Mikdash.