KZ
Turkistan
Kazakhstan's spiritual heart and a Silk Road pilgrimage city
Kazakhstan's spiritual heart and a Silk Road pilgrimage city
This unfinished masterpiece of Timurid architecture soars with a vast ribbed turquoise dome and intricate tilework, sheltering a huge bronze cauldron and the tombs of Kazakh khans.
Dress modestly; the surrounding park is lovely at golden hour.
A modern caravanserai-style complex of shops, restaurants, hotels and a flying theatre, built to welcome pilgrims and tourists, ringed by canals and a giant glass arch.
Come in the evening for the fountain and light shows.
An hour away lie the eroded mudbrick ruins of Otrar, a once-great Silk Road city sacked by Genghis Khan, where you can walk among excavated walls and citadel mounds.
Combine it with Arystan Bab on a half-day driver trip.
The tomb of Yasawi’s teacher is a key pilgrimage stop on the way to Otrar, a serene domed shrine set amid the semi-desert.
Pilgrims traditionally visit here before the main mausoleum.
Around the mausoleum, a reconstructed citadel, hammam and bazaar quarter recreate the medieval city, with craft stalls and museums telling the region’s Silk Road story.
The small hammam and citadel museums are worth the modest entry.
Turkistan eats like southern Kazakhstan, with a strong Uzbek influence. Plov cooked in huge kazan pots, samsa baked on the walls of tandoor ovens, laghman noodles, shashlik and warm non bread are everywhere, along with sweet melons and grapes in late summer.
The Keruen Saray complex has the widest choice of restaurants and cafes, including more upmarket places with views over the canals. For cheaper food, the bazaar and the chaikhanas (teahouses) near the mausoleum serve plov, soups and endless green tea. As a pilgrimage centre, the town is conservative and alcohol is less common.
Turkistan has its own international airport, opened in 2020, with flights from Almaty, Astana and some international routes. The town is also on the main railway line, with trains from Almaty, Astana and Shymkent, and Shymkent (about 160 km) has more frequent buses and shared taxis. Around town, taxis and ride apps are cheap. Otrar and the Arystan Bab mausoleum are about an hour’s drive southwest, so hire a driver for the round trip.
Turkistan is one of the cheaper places to visit in Kazakhstan. Estimates are per person per day in USD.
One full day covers Turkistan’s great mausoleum, the Silk Road ruins nearby and the lively evening complex.
Explore the UNESCO-listed Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, with its huge tiled domes, then walk the rebuilt citadel walls, old town and bazaar around it.
Dress modestly; it is an active pilgrimage site.
Take a driver to the Arystan Bab mausoleum, then the excavated mounds of Otrar, once a major Silk Road city on the steppe.
Bring water and a hat for Otrar’s exposed site.
Return for dinner at the Keruen Saray complex and stroll the canals as the lights come on.
Check whether evening shows are running during your stay.
This is a major pilgrimage site; cover shoulders and knees, and women may wish to carry a headscarf.
Comfortable trains link Turkistan with Almaty, Shymkent and Astana; book sleeper berths ahead.
Otrar and Arystan Bab have no public transport; arrange a half-day taxi or tour.
Summers are fiercely hot; sightsee early and late and carry water.
Quick answers for visiting Turkistan and the Yasawi Mausoleum.
Turkistan is home to the UNESCO-listed Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, one of Central Asia's great Timurid monuments and an important pilgrimage site.
Trains connect Turkistan with Almaty, Shymkent and Astana, and it has its own airport. Book sleeper berths early on long routes.
April to June and September to October. Summers are extremely hot, so sightsee early and late.
There is no public transport to these sites. Hire a taxi for half a day or join a local tour.
Offline Russian and Kazakh for a region where little English is spoken.
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Download the Turkistan area for offline navigation, walking directions and public transport routes.
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Leafy Almaty, futuristic Astana, the pilgrimage city of Turkistan, the red-rock Charyn Canyon and the alpine Kolsai Lakes — the many faces of vast Kazakhstan.
Planning a wider trip? Our Kazakhstan travel guide covers getting there, costs, when to go and more.