Understanding gateways as an Urban Artefact - Taking the case study of Medieval Fortified City Junagadh

“Understanding Gateways as an Urban Artefact – Taking the case study of Medieval fortified city Junagadh” is a study that enlightens one with the different roles played by the gateways and connects the one by giving a glimpse of our glorious history and the great architects of that period. In today’s time, as one perceives these gateways as an independent piece of architecture – who knew that these grand gateways behold the powers within. Throughout our history, they either came out as a defender – protecting the innumerable cities or forts, or were erected to celebrate the victory or behold the religious powers within it. Today they give us the clues of the beliefs of our great ancestors and narrates the stories of its creation; trying to make us understand how they were not an independent element but were linked with many parameters for its creation. Thus, there is a need to study these artefacts through the various lens and understand its true value. The thesis aims to understand the architecture of historical Gateways as an Urban Artefact and decipher their role from time to time. The theory is established by studying various gateways based on their different roles and period and gets into its depth of it. The inferences taken out from the study reflects the values of the gateways and helps one understand various parameters linked with it. The thesis explores the possibility of understanding gateways as an urban artefact through the analytical study of various gates and then taking the main case study of Junagadh city.