Everything y'all remove to know nearly visiting Turkistan, Kazakhstan.
The overnight prepare from Almaty rolled into Turkistan on a September evening. The ride had been comfortable, in addition to our beau passengers had been friendly, fifty-fifty if they didn’t verbalize English linguistic communication in addition to our Kazakh linguistic communication skills were severely lacking.
We had been fascinated amongst Silk Road history along our journeying through Central Asia, in addition to amongst Republic of Kazakhstan having only introduced 15-day visa exemptions for Australians* nosotros had decided to brand the most of the chance in addition to see some places inwards the southward of the country.
*Note – As of Jan 1st 2017 citizens of 43 countries tin displace at nowadays instruct inwards Republic of Kazakhstan on a 30-day visa exemption. Read to a greater extent than nearly Kazakhstan’s visa laws here.
Scattered amongst ancient mausoleums, intricate mosaics in addition to captivating archaeological sites, Turkistan was a house nosotros couldn’t live on to a greater extent than excited for.
Once nosotros left the prepare nosotros jumped onto a local marshrutka to accept us the few kilometres into town. We didn’t cause got a map or GPS, but did cause got the scream of a hotel that came highly recommended from a beau traveller. Asking around a local pointed us to the eastern cease of downtown.
Stumbling across Hotel Edem nosotros secured a room for 5000 tenge (US$15) amongst an ensuite in addition to breakfast, dropped our bags off in addition to forthwith striking the bar downstairs for a repast in addition to drink.
We hadn’t anticipated that Hotel Edem was habitation to Turkistan’s most pop club, in addition to at nearly 9pm the trip the low-cal fantastic toe flooring of a abrupt turned on in addition to scores of young, hip Kazakhs began busting a move.
Lesh in addition to I eagerly watched on waiting for a vocal that would instruct us upwardly every bit well. But every bit apace every bit the trip the low-cal fantastic toe flooring had turned on, everyone left at exactly 9:15 in addition to returned to their chairs. The music kept blaring, but no i danced.
This happened in i lawsuit to a greater extent than at just 10pm, in addition to in i lawsuit to a greater extent than at 11pm. Clearly at that topographic point was some 15-minute code of behavior for Kazakh trip the low-cal fantastic toe floors that nosotros hadn’t been told about. Deciding that the blaring Kazakh techno music wasn’t actually our scene anyway, nosotros headed to our room, direct to a higher house the club, to endeavour in addition to instruct some slumber for the morning’s exploration.
The adjacent solar daytime nosotros left the hotel early on in addition to made our means towards the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, Turkistan’s incredible UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Rising from the fields similar a glistening jewel, the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi is the most of import historical site inwards all of Kazakhstan.
Originally built inwards the twelfth century upon the decease of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, the smashing poet in addition to regional leader of Sufism, the mausoleum was replaced inwards 1389 when the conqueror Timur commissioned a novel construction to live on erected.
The site was already a sacred pilgrimage site for thousands of people, but when Timur started his novel construction it apace became the novel measure for Islamic architecture in addition to captured the imagination of devout followers around Central Asia.
Unfortunately it was never finished every bit funds dried upwardly when Timur died inwards 1405, but it withal remained every bit a major pilgrimage site.
Entering through the immense walls leads into the courtyard, filled amongst flowerbeds in addition to restored tiles. The principal mausoleum dominates the scene, amongst the huge entrance portal towering to a higher house the city.
We wandered within in addition to forthwith were overwhelmed amongst the enormous bronze cauldron inwards the centre of the hall. People walked around the cauldron, reaching out to comport upon it in addition to pray at its base. Lines from the Quran circled the top in addition to decorative ornaments adorned the centre.
Stepping yesteryear the worshippers nosotros explored the residual of the mausoleum, beingness invited to inspect the prayer rooms yesteryear grin locals, in addition to soaked upwardly the ambiance.
Exiting the principal mausoleum nosotros walked around the outside, pausing to admire the detailed mosaic tiles that are mutual inwards Islamic architecture in addition to the beautiful Western Farsi scripts that were painted on the walls.
Besides the principal mausoleum a expose of other sites are constitute within the grounds, such every bit the hugger-mugger mosque, the onetime bathhouse in addition to the citadel ruins. We made our means to each of them, studying every bit much every bit nosotros could nearly the history of the place.
A large crowd gathered yesteryear a good nigh the bathhouse, sipping on the H2O that was scooped out yesteryear a bucket. It evidently held a religious importance to the people, in addition to nosotros felt honoured when a few of them called us over in addition to allowed us to also sample the water.
Each edifice had fascinating displays of ancient urns, archeological digs in addition to historic trinkets, in addition to nosotros spent most of the solar daytime wandering inwards in addition to out of the centuries-old structures.
Towards the dorsum of the grounds the exploration of the citadel was beingness conducted, in addition to farther inwards the distance the city’s novel mosque shined similar a brilliant diamond beneath the pale blueish sky.
We headed towards the spectacular Historical Cultural Ethnographic Centre adjacent to the mausoleum, paid our 500 tenge entrance (US$1.50) in addition to trekked through the three floors of regional folk history exhibitions.
With alone a brief residual for luncheon the solar daytime had flown by, in addition to presently sunset had arrived. We made our means to the top of the metropolis walls to await for the glorious dusk.
The heaven came live on behind the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi in addition to nosotros were rewarded amongst deep hues of purples, reds in addition to oranges every bit the colours danced their means across the backdrop.
With no wishing to provide to the Kazakh nightclub inwards our hotel nosotros waited for the lights to come upwardly on in addition to illuminate the grounds, but unfortunately they never did.
Exploring Turkistan was a truthful highlight of our travels inwards Central Asia. The examples of fine Timurind architecture, spell non every bit awesome every bit those found inwards Uzbekistan, was a sensational experience.
How to Get to Turkistan
Turkistan is 165km northwest of Skymkent, 320km N of Tashkent in addition to 850km westward of Almaty.
It is possible to choose care of a prepare from Almaty to Turkestan, which is the pick nosotros took. This damage us nearly US$20 per someone for a comfortable 6-person sleeper berth in addition to took xx hours, leaving Almaty at 22:00.
To exit Turkistan nosotros took a minivan to Taraz, in addition to and then changed to some other minivan to instruct to Bishkek. We don’t retrieve the damage for this sorry, but it was rattling reasonable.
There is also prepare access to the capital, Astana, in addition to international connections to Tashkent, if y'all already cause got your Uzbekistan visa.
Where To Stay In Turkistan
We stayed at the Hotel Edem, in addition to spell it wasn’t the cheapest house inwards town, for US$15 a black amongst ensuite bath in addition to breakfast included nosotros couldn’t actually complain. It also had wifi (not super fast), in addition to the staff were helpful enough.
- Address: Kozhanov St, Turkistan
- Phone: +7 (72533) three 35 71
- Email: edem_kz@mail.ru
Looking for something a fleck nicer? Check out Hotel Khanaka on booking.com
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