Pilgrim tours in settlement to Sauran.

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 Confucius.

Tours and Presentations in Kazakhstan.

The mausoleum of Karashash ana is a historical monument of the architecture of the XIX century. It is located in Sairam district of Southern Kazakhstan region in the village of Sairam near juncture of main roads in territory of an old cemetery.
The mausoleum was erected on the grave of mother of Khoja Akhmed Yassawi, great Sufi preacher. The real name of Karashash ana, mother of Yassawi, is Aisha bibi. She was a daughter of sheikh Musa, a noble person who was famous in all Sairam.
Science, culture and arts rapidly progressed in this region in the XI century. Karashash was one of the most educated and bought up woman of that time. Despite her wealth she had never been proud of it and wasn’t arrogant. Moreover, she tried to help all ill and afflicted people.
According to legends, Karashash could heal from diseases and could read dreams. Thanks to this she became widely known among local people. Karashash spent a lot of time on bringing up children becoming the ideal of maternity in the eyes of people.
The mausoleum of Karashash ana is a portal-dome type building. Such constructions were widely popular in the age of late Middle ages in the territory of Southern-Kazakhstan. Initially, it was erected in the XIII century.
But later it was demolished by aging effect and natural conditions and rebuilt several times. The present mausoleum was built in the middle of the XIX century. It was built of burnt square bricks with sizes of 27 x 27 x 5 centimeters. Also wood and clay were used in construction.
The mausoleum was built of good materials and with peculiar accuracy. During two centuries the monument was not ruined. Wood elements used in construction and wood ornament were not decayed. The size of the mausoleum is 6,3 x 6,3 meters.
The building is vaulted with dome standing on drum and corner spandrels. The height of the dome is 7,08 meters. In 1996 the dome was covered with white tin plate. Southern and south-west facades are decorated with portals of vaulted exedras.
Front surfaces are decorated with shallow vaulted and square exedras. Door entrances are located in southern and western parts of the mausoleum. Interior of the top of the dome is plastered. Lighting hole is covered with wood trellis. Floor is made of bricks on sand platform.
The grave of Karashash ana covered with marble plates is located in the central part of the mausoleum. The graves of her relatives Ibragim khodja, Suleiman khodja, Salim khodja and Daut khodja are located near her grave.

Authority:
«Monuments of the Central Asia». The author of M. Khahsimov. Publishing house,  Saga, 2001. Samarkand. «Masterpieces of the Central Asia», Tashkent, Publishing house Sanat, 2004. www.farsah.kz. «Ancient Kazakhstan» Arias, Saki, Hun, Turkis. The children's encyclopedia of Kazakhstan. Almaty, 2007, publishing house Aruna. Medoev A.G., «Engravings on rocks.Sary-Arka, Mangyshlak», Almaty, Zhalyn, 1979. Marikovskij P.I. «Figures on rocks of Southern and Central areas of Kazakhstan», Almaty, Tuganolke, 2004. http://culturemap.kz

Alexander Petrov
photos.