The Great Silk Road

Rating
7.48

It is impossible to learn the history of South Kazakhstan without such great cities as Taraz, Otrar and Turkestan. Otrar is a historic-archeological monument of I- XVIII centuries.

One of the largest shopping and cultural centers on a Great silk road, Otrar played a special role in fight against Genghis Khan's hordes. A famous scientist-lexicographer Al’ Farabi was born here. The city had a library that could compete with the famous library in Aleksandriya. Forty-year excavations enable our contemporaries to learn new facts about the history of their native land. An architectural monument of the XIV century - Arystan Baba mausoleum is located not far from Otrar city. Arystan Baba was a Muslim preacher, a religious mystic of the XII century, teacher and mentor of Khoja Akhmet Yassawi.

The ancient city of Turkestan has played a significant role in the history of the Kazakh nation. It was an important religious center that served as the residence of the Kazakh khans. The main attraction of the city is the mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yassawi. This monument of medieval architecture was built by Emir Timur in XIV century. The magnificent mausoleum and necropolis with Yassawi khanaka are objects of the pilgrimage, which is visited by thousands of people every year.