The Most Beautiful City On Earth In 1400!

[Zeke]

There are many beautiful cities on Earth today but back in 1400 A.D the cities that existed were considered to best of their day. In my opinion this is a turning point in the history of human construction because gradually everything began to be built not out of beauty but out of convience. Latter on in the 1800's cities were no longer built out of forced slave labour or human craftmen but industrial macheinery. Their became more steel buildings that were considered "Beautiful." But in my opinion in the 1400s is the point where the most beautiful cities existed on Earth because craftmen's and builders dilbertly wanted to make their creations beautiful. Now-a-days I think it's safe to say that men no longer think of beauty in cities (unless their rich and have money) but as cities as meeting centers and a place to get job enmployment. Paris is still beautiful of coarse....but it much more marvellous back in the day. At least thats my opinion

 

Anyway what in your opinion was the most beautiful city on Earth in 1400??

 

Zeke

[Ursus]

I really can't say since I wasn't there . .. but the Europeans of a century later would marvel at the size, beauty and cleanliness of Tenochitlian in comparison to their own dung filled cities.

[Spurius]

I'm casting my vote to other, with two possible candidates. At first I was going to include Baghdad, but by 1400 it had been sacked a couple times. Still a pearl, but rough around the edges.

 

My two nominees:

 

Cairo: During this time the largest city in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East at a population of 500,000 or so. That would put its size in the same ranks as Tenochitlian and the Forbidden City. It had several grand mosques, the fortress and tower of the mameluks, a large palace and a "human anthill" of activity. Also, looking into the near distance, there is Giza (actually part of its suburbs today). This time period was a bloody one for Cairo however, the Dynasty was called the Circassian Mameluks. They oppressed the Jews and Chrisitians a great deal, and raided their Muslim neighbors a lot. Still the city was supposed to be at its most beautiful then.

 

Granada: With the Alhambra, Generalife, El Carmen, the gates to the old city "Elvira", the Jewish quarter El Albaicin...all held today as pearls of beauty, so how much the better then? The kingdom was a vassal state of Castile in 1400, but the King of Granada still held court. It wasn't until 1492 that Ferdinan and Isabella removed the king and last Andalusian Islamic stronghold. Yes, Columbus's voyage was attached to this event as part of the good mood of the times.

I lean toward Granada for beauty, but both are great cities.

[Lex]

Constantinople.

I

[Lex]

Constantinople.

I've been to modern day Istanbul and I've seen to what extent the size of the original city was...it was absolutely huge. Not to mention that Constantine had the new city made almost entirely out of marble and other impressive materials. I doubt that the later Byzantine Emperors would have spared any expense either, not to mention the immense personal wealth of the citizens and traders within the city walls. I'm also sure that the Emperors would have tried to outdo each other with new buildings and additions to the Imperial palace.

 

Constantinople also apparently amazed the Crusaders and other Europeans with its sheer size and beauty. So it would seem that the city was quite impressive to the Franks, Italians and I'm sure even the wealthy Venetians. Because lets face it, most of Europe at the time still probably consisted of muddy hovels and dreary castles whilst Constantinople was the capital of a once immensely powerful and rich nation-state.

[Onasander]

Malta

[PerfectimusPrime]

Sein

[Tobias]

Constantinople definetly.

The city was full of great buildings and statues, including the almost incomparable St Sophia. Their were great palaces and great ancient walls that stood as a reminder of ancient times. The city preserved the lights of learning suring the dark ages and mediaeval times, and around this time saw a great flourishing of the arts in the city. Although it had no doubt suffered at the hands of the Fourth Crusade and the Latin Empire, it maintained the majesty and greatness that only the capital of what was once the greatest power of the time could possess.

Edited April 26, 2006 by Tobias

[Fafnir]

Tenochitlian. If the stories about the city were true (which they probably werent) it would definately be the most beautiful city. It was on the middle of a lake, had floating gardens, and had vast riches.

 

Too bad it was beseiged and destroyed so quickly. Spaniards do some things wrong.

[Tobias]

Tenochtitlan would definetly have been a sight, especially the floating gardens and the causeways on the lake. I tossed up between it and Constantinople, but decided on Constantinople in the end.

[Virgil61]

Cairo

I spent a month in Cairo around ten years ago. It may have been beautiful at one time, but it's a smelly, tourist-trap cesspool now. Grenada on the other hand, seems to have aged well.

[Spurius]

Yes, now it's bad...as you said. But in 1400 it was THE city of the Mediterranean. Too bad about it's slide, but at least there's still a lot of scholarly material waiting to be plumbed there (like the Fustat Geniza).

 

I hope to take the family and see Grenada and then other points in Spain in a few years.

[Quintus Artemis Sertorius]

I think one of the most beautiful cities in the world at the time would be Edo in Japan. For one, it was one of the most populous cities in the world, if i remember correctly larger than any city in Europe at the time. The Imperial Enclosure, and the many shrines, while small (by some European standards), were expertly designed. Cleanliness was always very important to the Japanese, so Edo was probably much more pleasing to look at on a more common level. While some European cities such as Constantinople, Rome, and Paris may have more large scale buildings like cathedrals and basilicas, they definitely weren't the cleanest. Edo must have been something to look at in the "good old days".

[Tobias]

That's certainly true. How long did Edo last though?

I know Constantinople has already weathered a terrible time under the Fourth Crusade, so how much longer did Edo continue unharmed?

Edited April 26, 2006 by Tobias

[Silentium]

Sein