Turkestan - an architectural pearl of Kazakhstan.

“Not all those who wander are lost”

J.R.R. Tolkien.

The short description of the tour route from Tashkent to Turkestan:

Tashkent - Check Point “Zhibek Zholy\Gysht Kuprik” – Shymkent – Sairam village - Temirlan village – Ekpindy village (Red bridge) – Shaulder village (museum site of ancient settlement “Otrar”) – ruins Otrar – mausoleum Arstanbab – mosque Arstanbab - Turkestan (Architectural complex Azret Sultan) - Shymkent – Check Point “Zhibek Zholy\Gysht Kuprik” – Tashkent.

Distance route: 435 km.
Season: year round.
The best time for an excursion: JApril, May, June, July, August, September.
Duration tour: 3 days, 2 nights.

The program day by day in Turkestan:
 

Tours from Shymkent to Turkestan.

1 Day. Tashkent - Shymkent – Sairam villege - Shymkent (150 km). 
Meeting client Сheck-Point “Zhibek Zholy\Gysht Kuprik” (Kazakh-Uzbek border). Border and customs formalities on the Uzbekistan side. After Uzbek border and customs formalities on Kazakh border, meeting for Kazakh guide on the Kazakhstan border.
Transfer: Check-point “Zhibek Zholy\Gysht Kuprik” – Shymkent – Sairam village (135 km). Village to Sairam the most ancient of settlements in territory of Southern Kazakhstan. It is located on the river to Sairam-Su in 15 kilometers to the east of city of Shymkent.
During an epoch of the early Middle Ages (IX - XII centuries) on place Sairam there was a city of Isfidzhab - the center of the district which are a part Maverannahra. Excursion on monuments of settlement, visiting mazars and the mausoleums of parents of an outstanding poet and religious mysticism Karashash ana (XVIII c.), Ibragim ata (XIII - XIX c.c.), Abdel Aziz Baba (XV - XIX c.c.), Khodja Talig (XIII - XIX c.c.), Mirali Baba (end ХIХ - ХХ c.c.), medieval minaret Khazyr (XIII - XIX с.с.).
Lunch in local cafe. Transfer to Shymkent (15 km), arrival in Shymkent, accommodation in hotel. A dinner. Overnight in hotel.
2 Day. Shymkent – Temirlan village - Ekpindy village - Tortkol village - Shaulder village - Turkestan (215 km).
Breakfast. Excursion in a study of local lore museum of city. Transfer: Shymkent - Temirlan village (48 km), visit to museum Khadji Mukana, the exposition of a museum tells about well-known Kazakh fighter Mukan Munaitpasov who was the first Kazakh world champion on the French struggle.
Transfer: Temirlan village - Ekpindy village (22 km), on a way survey of the Red bridge in the village Ekpindy on the Bogen river, constructed in 1886.
Transfer: Ekpindy village - Tortkol village - Shaulder village (78 km). Arrival in Shaulder village. Lunch in local cafe. Excursion in museum «Otrar» in which there are archeological finds with ancient Otrar, ransack and burnt by armies Chingis Khan in XII century.
The ending of excursion, transfer: Shaulder village - Kogam village - site of ancient settlement Otrar (X - XII с.с.) (14 km), visiting of site of ancient settlement Otrar, archeological excavations - a medieval bath, a mosque, residential area, a fortification.
Transfer: site of ancient settlement Otrar - mausoleum Arstanbab (3 km), visiting of the mausoleum. Transfer to mosque Arstanbab (1 km), constructed on money of the Kazakhstan patron of art, visiting of a mosque.
Transfer: mosque Arstanbab - city Turkestan (56 km), arrival in Turkestan, transfer in hotel, accommodation. Dinner, overnight.
3 Day. Turkestan – Shymkent – Check Point “Zhibek Zholy\Gysht Kuprik” – Tashkent (285 km).
Breakfast. After breakfast excursion to Akhmed Yasavi mausoleum complex: gallery of stone statues, arheological museum, historical (cultural reserve) museum “Azret-Sultan”, gates (Darvaza) (XVIII - XIX c.c.), Esimkhan mausoleum  (XVI c.), Rabiga Sultan Begim mausoleum (end XV c.), Akhmed Yasavi khanaka-mausoleum (XII - XIV c.c.), “Zhuma” mosque (1878), underground mosque Khilovat (XII - XV c.c.), oriental baths (XVI - XVIII c.c.), Big khilvet (XII c.), Chillyakhana (XIV c.), archeological site of ancient settlement Kultobe (XIV c.), Khilvet Aulie-Kumchik-ata (XII c.).
Lunch in the local cafe. After lunch transfer: Turkestan – Shymkent Check-point “Zhibek Zholy\Gysht Kuprik” (Kazak-Uzbek border) (285 km). After Kazakh border and customs formalities meeting for Uzbek guide on the Uzbekistan border.
Border and customs formalities on the Uzbekistan side. Transfer to Tashkent (24 km). Arrival in Tashkent, transfer to hotel, accommodation, overnight.

Note:
Author program of Alexander Petrov. Copying and introduction -  from the sanction of the author.

Photos by
Alexander Petrov