Visit Turkestan

Turkestan (region of Kazakhstan country) was founded around 500 AD at the intersection of caravan routes from Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva to Northern Kazakhstan. The city was known as the spiritual and political center of the Turkic-speaking people in the XVI-XVIII centuries and was the capital of the Kazakh Khanate. The city of Turkestan gained worldwide fame thanks to the preaching activities of the famous Sufi sheikh and philosopher Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, who was buried here in a small mausoleum in 1166. The existing mausoleum was erected 233 years after his death by order of the outstanding commander, Emir Tamerlane and today is a masterpiece of medieval architecture, which has become one of the main places of worship of Muslims. According to legend, all attempts to erect the walls of the mausoleum failed: according to one version, they were demolished by a strong storm, according to another version – a green bull appeared, which destroyed everything. Grave grave of Saint Arystan Baba (teacher and spiritual mentor of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi), and then over the grave of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, which Tamerlane did, the saint who appeared to Tamerlane in a dream said that first he needed to build a mausoleum over the grave of Saint Arystan Baba (teacher and spiritual mentor of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi). Therefore, pilgrims first visit the mausoleum of Arystan-Bab, and then the mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi. Pilgrims say that three trips to Turkestan are equal to a small hajj to Mecca.