Excursion to the Kulan settlement -
Trip from Taraz to Kulan village -
Kulan is a medieval town (settlement), the object dates back to about the VIII century. The first studies of this object began in the 19th century. Researchers have discovered 3 cultural layers here that belong to the VII-XII centuries. The whole city was built of baked bricks and clay, as well as the central part of the city, where the palace complex was located. This cultural object is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
How to get there, visit -
Kulan settlement is located in Zhambyl region, Kazakhstan, near the village of Kulan.
GPS coordinates: N42°55'14" E72°44'15"
Information -
The Kulan settlement in its original form was surrounded by walls up to 5 meters high, the central part was a square room of 7 rooms, the researchers attributed this structure to the palace class. The walls of the palace reached a height of 3 meters, had several entrances and exits. During excavations, 4 terracotta heads were found here, broken off from the torsos. The facial expressions suggest that the statues were made with the main members of the local dynasty. Fragments of the statues date back to the IX-th century. Also found a bronze cauldron, which dates back to the VIII-th century, jugs and containers (hums) for storing wine and grain, as well as parts of a workshop for processing grapes.
During archaeological work on Kulan, a unique palace of the Karluk ruler with a very interesting architectural solution was discovered. If until today, mainly carved or flat terracotta were found at the excavations, then the Kulan finds are raw bricks with numerous patterns. The remains of the Kulan settlement indicate that the medieval city was one of the centers of crafts and trade on the Great Silk Road. During the archaeological research of the "temple complex" (2006), a rich and interesting collection of ceramics was collected at the settlement: cauldrons, jugs, mugs, hums, incense burners, dostarkhans.
Kulan settlement in Zhambyl region
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