From ConPlanet
| Elkunno (Qelkunno) | |
|---|---|
| — City — | |
| Country |  Atoskherakh |
| Founded | 1362 |
| Government | |
| - Type | autonomous city |
| - Mayoress General | |
| Area | |
| - Total | 354.1 km2 (136.7 sq mi) |
| Population (2008) | |
| - Total | 1,450,238 |
| Time zone | -4 |
Elkunno (IPA: /əlˈkʰʌnoʊ/; In Qitsári: Qelkunno, IPA: /ʔɛlˈkunːɔ/) is the capital city and the largest city of Atoskherakh. It is also a province in its own right and the main residential city of the Atoskherakh Empress, the Four Queens and several other governmental institutions. It was founded in 1362 by Empress Marthún of the Garót Dynasty. It was not built from the scratch - several small villages which supported one of the summer residences of the Imperial Family had grown bigger and bigger over the time, and so the administrational reorganisation of the region had become necessary.
The city is home to nearly 1,500,000 citizens today and lies on the Karvén River, which is one of the important trade routes between the coast and the southern plains on the one hand and the mountains and the north-western regions on the other.
Contents |
History
Founded in 1362, rapid expansion, decline during the 17th century due to the big political and economic crisis, reestablishing itself from 1714 onwards, countinuous growth, in 1758 the Great Fire of Elkunno destroys four fifths of the town, rebuilding it as a planned city takes nearly ten years. From then on countinuous growth again, no major desasters.
Geography
The city is located on a plain. It lies on the Karvén River, just a bit north from its mouth in the Southern Bay. Directly at the Southern Bay lies an exclave of Qelkunno, called Tirvis Qelkùnné. Formally it is a part of the capital and not a city in its own right, but its district gouvernement has more freedom than the district governements of Qelkunno proper.
Cityscape
The city is a planned city, it has two axes of symmetry, four main streets, 24 districts (21 districts in Qelkunno proper without Tirvis Qelkùnné and (still) two city walls - there are discussions about tearing down at least the inner one.
Architecture
Since the Great Fire the building materials in the city have changed - wood was the main choice until 1758, since then only brick and stone (and concrete for some time now) are allowed as main construction materials by Imperial Edict.
Parks
Qelkunno has some parks. The biggest one, the Mead, had been an imperial hunting ground until the 19th century when the city was enlarged by surrounding settlements and the park opened for the public.
Neighborhoods
Qelkunno has 21 districts. The first and central one contains the Imperial and Royal Palaces only, the eight inner disctricts are mainly home to the houses and palaces of aristocratic and well off upper and middle class families. The twelve outer districts are pretty widely diversified when it comes to the inhabitants. Outside the outer city walls lie some some growing villages.
