Tour description
TOUR SIGHTS
- Archeological site of Otrar ancient city
- Arystanbab mausoleum
- Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yassawi
- Archeological site of Sauran ancient city
We are glad to invite you to a one-day express tour of the most significant historical places of Southern Kazakhstan, where you can get closer to the history of the people of Central Asia, touch the monuments of medieval architecture and get an unforgettable experience from what you see for long memory.
In this tour, we suggest you follow in the footsteps of the Great Silk Road in the south of Kazakhstan. The Great Silk Road is a caravan trading road linking East Asia with the Mediterranean in ancient times and in the Middle Ages. The Great Silk Road served as a conductor for the spread of trade, technology, religion and art from east to west across the territory of present-day Central Asia.
Firstly you will head towards the ruins of Otrar fortified city, which was one of the largest cities in Central Asia on the route of the Great Silk Road. The city dates from the period from the beginning of our era to the XIX century. In 1219, the сity bravely fought with the army of Genghis Khan and was under siege for almost half a year, as a result, it was captured, plundered and almost the entire population destroyed. The great conqueror Amir Timur lived before a grand campaign to China and died in Otrar of a fever in 1405.
Before visiting the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yassawi it's considered mandatory to visit the mausoleum of Arystan Baba - a teacher and spiritual mentor of Khoja Ahmed Yassawi.
Next, you will arrive in the ancient city of Turkestan, formerly known as Yassy - which was a fortified city in the Middle Ages. You will see with your own eyes the most beautiful architectural monument of Kazakhstan - the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yassawi, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. This is a true masterpiece of medieval architecture with several domes and a grand entrance portal. Persian architects were involved in the construction of the mausoleum, innovative solutions were used, as in the construction of Samarkand (the capital of Timurids - in the time of Tamerlan).
Further, you will head towards the next destination - the archeological site of Sauran, an ancient city located 43 km north-west from Turkestan. One of the earliest mentions of the city comes from the Arab geographer Al-Muqaddasi, who described it in the 10th century as "a large city surrounded by seven walls, mosque located in the inner city". In the XIV century, the Sauran became the capital of Ak-Orda (or White Horde) one of the states built on the ruins of the Mongolian Empire.
At the end of the day, you will return to the city of Shymkent, where you will have dinner and the return trip to Almaty on a comfortable night train.
