Dula

Among the largest cities of all time, Dula, the former capital of the eponymous Dulama Empire, had over a million inhabitants at its height. Long the center of the Dulama religion, it was also a great cultural and economic powerhouse, both before and during imperial times.
Dula itself is divided into four quarters, centered around a ceremonial plaza. Broad avenues extend from the central plaza in each of the cardinal directions, in theory extended all the way into each quarter of the empire; they intersect several square avenues that ring each belt of the city.
The plaza is home to a large temple-pyramid, some 300 feet high, on top of which is held the ceremonies for the human sacrifice that drive the Dulama religion. Around this pyramid are located numerous smaller religious and administrative structures, though all are easily dwarfed by it. The central plaza is walled, and into each of the four great gates is carved the likenesses of Dulama gods and goddesses. At the foot of each gate lies a great market, in theory catering to the goods of the quarter that they point to, but in practice such symbolism has long been discarded in favor of economic reality. For example, the southern market, were it to stick to goods from its quarter (essentially jungle-covered hills), would probably be quite small; instead it mostly caters to those who wish to deal in bulk goods, while the northern market is one for domestic luxuries.
Each of the city's four quarters has a distinctive character. The northeastern part lies on higher ground than most of the others, and is generally considered to be home to the Dulama upper class, with fountains, straight, regular streets, and the most beautiful assembly halls of the city. The southeastern quarter is traditionally the abode of foreigners, especially from the eastern kingdoms and empires.
A canal runs through the western side of the city, and brings fresh water to most of the inhabitants. Some houses, especially the most luxurious, have running water of sorts, while there is a functional sewage system, along with a whole army of street-sweepers to make the city probably the cleanest in the world.
Traditional festivals are held at the beginning of the wet season to mark the new year (one of the noisiest and most dangerous in the world), in the middle of the wet season, to mark the city's foundation, and midway through the dry season, a slightly more solemn celebration of the coming bounty of the earth.
Category:Dulama
Category:Cities
Category:West