Why do cities like those have organized perpendicular walls for buildings but then have seemingly random external walls that only sometimes match the inside?
My first thought would be to match the terrain, but this frequently happens on seemingly flat land too. Can’t figure out a wording that gets an answer on a web search.
I would bet that the interior walls run in cardinal directions, but the exterior walls were built to fit with the rest of the existing structures surrounding the fortress. Fortifications were usually built where there is already a village to support them.
Why do cities like those have organized perpendicular walls for buildings but then have seemingly random external walls that only sometimes match the inside?
My first thought would be to match the terrain, but this frequently happens on seemingly flat land too. Can’t figure out a wording that gets an answer on a web search.
The surrounding area may have looked very different back in the day. Maybe the walls were built along moats or trenches that no longer exist.
I would bet that the interior walls run in cardinal directions, but the exterior walls were built to fit with the rest of the existing structures surrounding the fortress. Fortifications were usually built where there is already a village to support them.