Tours to medieval cities of Southern Kazakhstan -
Organization of tours around the Turkestan region and the village of Sozak -
Suzak (Sozak) is a settlement, one of the oldest cities in Kazakhstan, an architectural monument, the object dates back to the 10th century, but during archaeological research it was established that the settlement existed here in the 6th century. The city in ancient times was a center of trade, the city was also the center of the Kazakh Khanate and was its capital, so this city can be considered the first and most ancient capital of modern Kazakhstan.
How to get there, visit -
The city of Suzak is located in the village of Suzak, Sozak district, Turkestan region, Republic of Kazakhstan.
GPS coordinates: 44°08'15"N 68°28'00"E
Information -
The city of Sozak, which has a two-thousand-year history, stands out for being the first capital of the Kazakh Khanate. The location of the city of Sozak occupies a significant place in the history of the formation and development of the Kazakh Khanate. The name of the city of Sozak was first mentioned in written sources in the middle of the 13th century. The city of Sozak was one of the main cities of this region, the city is located on a strip of the northern slopes of the Karatau Mountains, which is considered an area of residence on the banks of large rivers and lakes of nomadic and semi-nomadic pastoralists and sedentary culture, whose main occupation was agriculture, trade and hunting. During the Dzungar invasion, the city of Sozak became one of the largest fortresses in the region. The city supplied food and weapons to the Kazakh troops who resisted the devastating attacks of the Dzungars. The fact that Sozak was a major city is revealed even in Russian records. According to Russian sources, the city of Sozak was one of the main central cities of the Kazakh Khanate along with Otyrar, Turkestan, Sauran and Ogiztau.
Outside, the city of Sozak was surrounded by a wall and a ditch containing water. There were about 500 houses in the city, and agricultural settlements were located near the city. Research work was carried out by the Central Kazakhstan Archaeological Expedition in 1946 (led by A. Margulan), in 1947-48. South Kazakhstan archaeological expedition (headed by A. N. Bernshtam), in 1982-83. archaeological expedition of the Shymkent Institute. The city was surrounded by walls with 20-meter towers. During the excavations, the remains of houses, a lot of ceramics, hums - containers for storing food and grain, pots, plates painted with blue and blue paints, as well as several copper coins of the 15th and 16th centuries were found.
The ancient settlement of Suzak in the Turkestan region
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