Mausoleum
First-timersThe streets around the holy site.
Turkistan city guide
Things To Do In Turkistan
A Silk Road town built around the vast turquoise-domed mausoleum of the Sufi poet Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, Kazakhstan's holiest site, with ruined cities of the steppe nearby.
1
Hostels in the city
7.7
Average, from 2 reviews
14th c.
The mausoleum built
2003
Joins UNESCO
3
Pilgrimages equal one to Mecca
The second Mecca
Turkistan was an important Silk Road town, and the burial place of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, a twelfth-century Sufi poet revered across Central Asia. Timur built his mausoleum in the fourteenth century, one of the greatest buildings of the Timurid era, left unfinished on its front. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and three pilgrimages here are said to equal one to Mecca.
The town has been heavily developed for tourism, with a new visitor complex of canals and hotels.
One or two days is right, with the ruins of Otrar and Sauran nearby.
Where to stay
Most hotels are in the new tourist complex west of the mausoleum, with its canals and restaurants, or in the streets around the mausoleum itself. Both are walkable to the main sight.
Tourist complex
HotelsThe new development with canals and restaurants.
Orange labels are neighbourhoods, dots are the 1 top-rated hostels. Map data from OpenStreetMap contributors.
Things to do
Things to do in Turkistan
Turkistan is the spiritual capital of Kazakhstan. The Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, a twelfth-century Sufi poet and teacher, was built on the orders of Timur at the end of the fourteenth century and left unfinished at his death; its scaffolding holes and bare brick front are still visible. Its huge turquoise ribbed dome and tiled walls make it one of the finest Timurid buildings anywhere, and it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Pilgrims come from across Central Asia; locals say three pilgrimages here equal one to Mecca. Dress modestly, and women should cover their heads inside.
The Arystan Bab mausoleum, built over the grave of Yasawi's teacher, is traditionally visited before Yasawi's. Nearby, the ruins of Otrar mark where Genghis Khan's invasion of Central Asia began in 1219.
Sauran, about 40 kilometres north-west, is a ruined walled city on the steppe.
In the evening, walk the new tourist complex, built with canals, a Venice-style waterfront and an amphitheatre; a light and water show runs most nights.
Free things
Free things to do in Turkistan
The mausoleum's grounds and the walk around it are free; the inside charges a small fee for foreigners. The new tourist complex, its canals and the evening light show are free to walk around.
Food and drink
Eating and drinking in Turkistan
Turkistan's food is Kazakh and Uzbek: plov, lagman, shashlyk, grilled meat skewers, and samsa from the tandoor. Tea is drunk with baursak, fried dough.
The tourist complex has restaurants for visitors; local cafés are cheaper. A meal is €3 to €7.
Nightlife
Going out in Turkistan
Turkistan is a pilgrimage town and quiet at night. The tourist complex is lively in the evening, with families walking the canals and the light show; a few restaurants serve drinks.
Getting around
Getting around Turkistan
Turkistan's airport, opened in 2020, has flights from Almaty and Astana. Trains and buses reach Shymkent, the nearest big city, in about two and a half hours, and Almaty by overnight train.
Tashkent, in Uzbekistan, is a few hours away via Shymkent and the border.
The town is walkable; taxis are cheap for Otrar, Arystan Bab and Sauran.
Costs
What Turkistan costs
Turkistan is cheap. A careful day is €20 to €30.
The mausoleum charges foreigners a small fee, and a taxi for a half-day trip to Otrar and Arystan Bab around €20 to €30.
The currency is the tenge (KZT); prices here are euro equivalents. Cards and the Kaspi app are used almost everywhere in the cities; carry some cash for markets, villages and the mountains.
Safety
Staying safe in Turkistan
Turkistan is safe. Dress modestly at the mausoleum: long trousers or skirts and covered shoulders, and a headscarf for women inside.
Summers are very hot, often above 40°C; visit the mausoleum early or late in the day.
Emergency number is 112, or 102 police and 103 ambulance.
Day trips from Turkistan
Mausoleums and ruins of the Silk Road.
Otrar and Arystan Bab
Ruins where Genghis Khan's invasion began, and the mausoleum of Yasawi's teacher.
Shymkent
The nearest big city.
What's on
What is on while you are there
Nauryz is celebrated at the mausoleum in March.
21–23 March
Nauryz
Turkistan
The spring new year.
Year-round
Pilgrimage season
Yasawi Mausoleum
Pilgrims from across Central Asia.
Hostels
Where to stay in Turkistan
The top-rated places to stay in Turkistan right now, live from Hostelworld.
When to go
April to May and September to October. Summers pass 35°C.
Jan
Cold
Feb
Cool
Mar
Nauryz
Apr
Excellent
May
Good
Jun
Hot
Jul
Very hot
Aug
Very hot
Sep
Good
Oct
Excellent
Nov
Cool
Dec
Cold
Bar height is temperature. Colour is how busy it gets:
quiet
busy
peak
Average highs.
What your trip will cost
Pick how you travel. Per person per night, in euros.
Prices are in tenge locally; these are euro equivalents.
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- Beds—
- Food and drink—
- Getting around—
- Doing things—
Turkistan travel questions
The ones we get asked most.
Why is Turkistan important?
It holds the mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, a Sufi teacher; locals say three pilgrimages here equal one to Mecca.
What should I wear?
Long trousers or skirts and covered shoulders; women should cover their heads inside the mausoleum.
How do I get there?
By flight from Almaty or Astana, or by train or bus via Shymkent.
Can I go on to Uzbekistan?
Yes, Tashkent is a few hours away via Shymkent and the border.
How many days do you need?
One or two.
When is the best time to visit?
April to May and September to October; summers are very hot.
Why is the mausoleum unfinished?
Timur ordered it in the 1380s and died before it was completed; the bare front and scaffolding holes remain.
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