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Главная » Turkestan monuments sights of the Southern Kazakhstan. Tours and travel across Turkestan.

Turkestan town.

Historical town monuments Turkestan.

“It SMELLS ancient," - Dan Cahill” 

Jude Watson.

Tours across ancient cities of Southern Kazakhstan.

Administrative centre, Turkestan, is located in the western part of the oblast. In 1928 it was founded as Turkestan village. The area is 7.4 thousand km². Total population is 181.3 thousand people. In the north and north-east there is a mountain (Karatau), other sides are valleys.
The climate is continental, winters are soft and summers are hot. Average temperature in January is – 4 - 6ºC, in July – 26 - 28ºC. There are such animals as wolves, fox, hares etc. There is light food industry in the region, as well as there are companies that process oil and refined oil, companies that manufacture concrete structures, companies that process the seeds of the cotton-plant.
Turkistan (also sometimes spelt Turkestan) is an ancient settlement, originally known by the name of Yassi, the old town located on the eastern edge of present-day Turkistan. Its origin dates back to the VIIth Century, when it stood in the shadow of the much larger and ttiore significant city of Shavgar close by.
It was only in the XIV Century that Yassi became the centre of the region. In X century it was Shavgar (Shavagar), from XII century - Yasy (Yassy). Medieval Yasy was a town-fortress. In XII century poet Khodzha Akhmed Yasavi lived there and was buried there too.
In its size Khodzha Akhmed Yasavi Mausoleum is equal to mosque Bibi-Khanum in Samarkand (Uzbekistan). Middle Asian ruler Timur began constructing a mosque close to Yasavi Mausoleum in 1396 - 1398. Turkestan nowadays (since 1968 the city is in South Kazakhstan oblast) is a large industrial, educational and cultural center as well as a center of inner and foreign tourism.
It is a railway station on Orenburg - Tashkent line. Light and food industries are developed. In the city there is one of the largest Universities in Central Asia - International Kazakh-Turkish University named after Khodzha Akhmed Yasavi.
There are 13 plants in Turkestan city, the largest of them are as follows: a cotton-processing plant, a machine-building plant, sewing and knitted wear plant, antibiotics plant, joint Kazakh-English plant producing dressings.
Turkestan was an important trade center of the past known from IV century. The full ancient name of the city was “Hazrat-e Turkestan” meaning “Saint of Turkestan”. Turkestan city was the most important learning center for Kazakh steppes people.
In 1390 one of the most important architectural monuments of Kazakhstan was built. It is the tomb (mausoleum) over ancient leader Timur grave. Turkestan city is attracting thousands of pilgrims every year. Turkestan city is also known as the Second Mecca of the East.
It is extremely important for Kazakhstan Muslims. Also there are other historical sites in Turkestan city: ancient bath house, Timur’s granddaughter mausoleum, three mausoleums of Kazakh khans (leaders). From the XVI to XIX centuries the city was under the control of the Kazakh Khans.
The name Turkistan, which was first mentioned in historical records in the XVI Century, has particular significance, expressing the claim that it represented the lands of the Turkic nations. This tradition remains alive to this day, and is the reason why Turkistan was chosen as the seat of the Kazakh-Turkish University.
The modern city of Turkistan is a typical town of the Central Asian steppe. With one monumental exception, it seems to have little to offer the tourist: a stroll around reveals the occasional traditional house with intricately carved wood gables, and the bustling and labyrinthine Night Market is definitely worth a visit, more to people-watch than to purchase - the melange of ethnic nationalities going about their business is fascinating.  
Most shopping is done in the evening, when temperatures are more bearable, and the market serves as a social centre as well as shopping centre. Today, the mausoleum is separated from the modern city by a high outer wall, along whose ramparts you can walk.
There is a museum, where one can learn something about Yasawi's students and Sufism, and a large rose garden separates the holy shrine from an ensemble of small shops, where mainly devotional objects and souvenirs are for sale; most of these, inevitably, fall firmly in the category of kitsch.
Northeast of the outer wall is a simple but beautifully carved statue of Al-Farabi, in front of a number of small buildings where traditional craftsmen and women make and ply their wares. Beautiful felt rugs, dombras and ceramics can be bought here. 
Turkistan (also sometimes spelt Turkestan) is an ancient settlement, originally known by the name of Yassi, the old town located on the eastern edge of present-day Turkistan. Its origin dates back to the VIIth Century, when it stood in the shadow of the much larger and significant city of Shavgar close by. It was only in the 14th Century that Yassy became the centre of the region.
From the XVIth to XIXth centuries the city was under the control of the Kazakh Khans. The name Turkistan, which was first mentioned in historical records in the XVIth Century, has particular significance, expressing the claim that it represented the lands of the Turkic nations.
This tradition remains alive to this day, and is the reason why Turkistan was chosen as the seat of the Kazakh-Turkish University. The modern city of Turkistan is a typical town of the Central Asian steppe. With one monumental exception, it seems to have little to offer the tourist: a stroll around reveals the occasional traditional house with intricately carved wood gables, and the bustling and labyrinthine Night Market is definitely worth a visit, more to people-watch than to purchase - the melange of ethnic nationalities going about their business is fascinating.

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Authority:
The guidebook across Kazakhstan . Authors Dagmar Schreiber and Jeremy Tredinnick.   Publishing house "Odyssey".2010.

Photos
Alexander Petrov.