Silk Roads: Fergana-Syrdarya Corridor

Visited in July, 2017. Due to some unexpected turbulences I managed to see only one component of Kazachstan Silk Road sites – Ancient settlement of Turkestan (Yassy). Easy to combine with visiting Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi. While entering the complex of the Mausoleum you will find a big plate with a map of the site and surrounding area. It shows all the attractions including the main complex, other mausoleums, mosques, baths. Number 14 on a map are ruins of former city – Kultobe, from III – XIV centuries AD. There are no others signs of the place, so try to locate the ruins by searching for a hangar-style construction. They are placed around 500 meters from the mausoleum (after the underground mosque).

The site looks like busy archeological place, partly covered by roofing structure (unfortunately that needs to be replaced as it is almost completely destroyed). It is not fenced or protected by any other means. You can visits the excavation site at your own risk.

The city of Kultobe (Yassy, Yasy, Kazak Күлтөбе – Ясы) was an important location during Kushan Empire (II century AD), later connected with Sarmatian tribes with its heydays in Timurid period (1389 – 1405) when famous mausoleum was built. The excavations revealed the part of former citadel together with dwelling houses, streets, town walls. The basic material was like everywhere else mainly adobe but comparing to other silk road sites it looks as more layers were preserved – the unearthed parts …

I visited this tentative WHS in June 2017. It is a very convenient stop between Shymkent and the Khoja Ahmed Yasawi Mausoleum. Most of the locals skip this site and head straight to the Arstanbab Mausoleum as part of their pilgrimage.

Solivagant's review is a great detailed walkthrough of what you will see when visiting the Otrar archaeological site. I particularly agree with him when he says: "Otrar is more a place to visit for what it once was rather than to see what it is now". As such it is similar to the 'experience' one gets by visiting Turkmenistan's Nissa WHS.

When I visited in June 2017, I was the only soul in the huge archaeological site and I felt as if I had trespassed into an archaeological site where excavations were still underway. There are pieces of broken pottery, tiles and mud bricks scattered everywhere, some partially visible in the mud, exposed after heavy rainfalls. Maybe that is why I felt lucky to be able to visit such a site, as I pictured myself walking on a semi desert mound which could possibly be hiding 'whole structures' like what happened with the Sphinx in Egypt (ok, maybe I had got a sunstroke by the time I finished visiting!).

The top left photo shows the remains of the 13th-15th century bathhouse, the top right photo shows the newly reconstructed Gate of Shakhristan, the bottom left photo shows the foundations of residential buildings, a mosque and possibly some fortresses, while …

The “Archaeological sites of Otrar Oasis” T List site consists of the remains of 7 ruined towns, together with irrigation structures etc located within a 200 sq km area around the confluence of the Arysi and Syr Darya rivers. Its lowest strata date back to around 1st C BC and it later became an important stop along the Eurasian arm of the Silk Road. At its centre lies the massive mound (200 ha by up to 18m high) of Otrar Tobe (= Tepe/Tell) - the former largest city of the oasis. This is situated in semi desert (in May 2017 it was one of the few places in Kazakhstan where we saw camels!) west off the main road between Shymkent and Turkistan. Most visitors I guess will limit themselves to seeing this main site but the road onwards to Turkistan does pass other tells – with “free” entrance (but with nothing to do but climb them?) and notice boards describing them if you want to stop and read! With a private car it is easy to fit in on a day trip from Shymkent to Turkistan and back – a walking tour of the main part of the mound will take no more than an hour for the non-specialist.

A rough path goes first along the bottom of the tell and then climbs up onto it - each point of interest has a bilingual Russian (?)/English notice board/plan. The first point is a Bath House outside the main tell in …