A NOTE ON THE ADMINISTRATIVE SYSTEM OF THE OLD HITTITE KINGDOM

From the 17th to the 12th Century B.C. the Hittite Kingdom was one of the most notable powers in the Near East. It ranged over a vast geographical area dominating the surrounding cities and smaller states. Throughout this time the Hittites consistently developed their political system thereby ascending to the level of an empire. From sources pertaining to this era, it can be ascertained that already in the early stages, when the borders were not as extended, the Hittite Kingdom adopted the tradition of sending the king＇s sons and princes to the newly conquered regions and significant cities.     

Investigation of the Seismic Behavior of a Historical Masonry Minaret Considering the Interaction with Surrounding Structures

This study examines the seismic behavior of the minaret of the well-known historical structure “Sultan Ahmed Mosque” under strong earthquake motion. Despite their slenderness and height, minarets are towers with well-established earthquake resistance. In general, these structures were constructed adjacent to the main structure and/or its components. Hence, it is expected that the dynamic behavior of the minarets is influenced by the dynamic characteristics of the adjacent structures as well as the contact conditions. In the presented study, the dynamic behavior of the M6 minaret of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, which is in contact with the portico that surrounds the courtyard of the mosque, is considered. Ambient vibration tests were conducted on site in order to identify the individual and coupled vibration modes of the minaret and the portico. A finite/discrete model was developed and seismic analysis was carried out. The comparative study reveals considerable differences in responses of different models under strong and very strong earthquake motion.