Diz (Architecture)

Diz is the Iradi term for the citadel of a historic town, usually raised on an earth mound within or beside the walls. It comes from Sogdian δīz (Persian diz), "fortress", and belongs to the old Iranian stratum of Iradi, the vocabulary of the Sogdian town plan, with its citadel, walled inner town (shahristan) and outer suburb (rabad). The Iradi name of the citadel at the heart of the Old Talas Citadel Quarter, Köhne Diz ("old citadel"), preserves the term.