Excavations of ancient settlements in Zhambyl region –
Organization of archaeological tours of ancient cities of Kazakhstan –
The ancient settlement of Taraz is an ancient city on the Silk Road of the I-XIX century, located in the central part of the modern city of Taraz. The complex was partially restored, canopies were built over the complex to protect the complex from rain, archaeological excavations are periodically carried out on the complex, more and more new buildings of the ancient settlement of Taraz are discovered. There is a museum next to the complex, which houses various kinds of antique objects. The first excavations at the site were carried out in 1927 by Russian research expeditions. In 1938, expeditions of the Kazakh Branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences (A.N. Bernshtam) excavated the Shakhristan fortress. Despite the complete destruction of the monuments, as a result of many years of archaeological work, as well as objects found during construction work on the territory of the modern city, significant materials describing various periods of Taraz's life in the ancient and Middle Ages have been preserved.
How to get there, visit –
The Archaeological Park, Taraz Museum (settlement) is located in the city of Taraz in its central part along Mirzoyan Street, Tole bi Street and Baizakov Street, Zhambyl region, Republic of Kazakhstan.
GPS coordinates: 42°53'48"N 71°23'43"E
Information –
Viewing platforms were built on the site of the ancient settlement of Taraz, restoration was carried out, pedestrian paths were made, so the image of the city can be represented based on data collected in the 19-30s of the 20th century. Excavations show that ancient Taraz in the Middle Ages consisted of a castle, shahristan, rabat (kurgan) and the surrounding territories. Currently, it can be seen that the northern wall of Shahristan extends up to 370 m, and the western wall – up to 160 m. In the south, the remains of the city can be seen at a distance of 200 m. The castle was connected to the northern wall of Shahristan. Vertical excavations made it possible to form the stages of the life of Shahristan and the castle. The layers characteristic of the first century of the new era were identified by fragments of clay bricks, ceramics and ash layers found during excavations of the castle and the southwestern part of Shahristan. The thickness of the layer is 0.5 m. During the excavations of the castle, layers of the IV-VI centuries were discovered, the thickness of which reached 1.5 m. there were remains of rooms built of rectangular mud bricks — 50 x 29.5 x 9.5 cm. The wall of the building has been preserved with a height of 1 m, a width of 1-1.5 m. Under the layers, pottery of a unique shape was found – ladles, jugs, hums, iron stoves, etc. Pear-shaped jugs and cups, shaped like metal vessels, were also found during excavations. There were cases with carved drawings, models for casting clay figurines, vessels with Syrian inscriptions. The layers of the VIII-X centuries indicate that the life of the city during this period was very difficult. The iron coins found date back to the VII-VIII centuries. The change in construction technology is evidenced by rooms built of burnt bricks, paved floors and paving stones. There are many shiny cups and jugs with pink carvings among the unbaked ceramics. Well-watered vessels are covered with glazes of white, light, blue and brown colors and inlaid with floral motifs. Excavations carried out in different parts of the city revealed building complexes and parking lots belonging to different periods of Taraz.
The remains of the ancient hammam bathhouse in the ancient settlement of Taraz –
The remains of the bathhouse were found on a 200-square-meter plot excavated in the eastern corner of Shahristan. The water for the bath comes from a well dug in a special place. The rooms are heated using heat-conducting channels laid under the floor of the bathhouse. The construction technique of the Taraz bathhouse, the patterns and decor of its walls, as well as the discovery of Bukhara iron coins dated to the XI century, prove that the bathhouse existed in the XI-XII centuries, during the economic heyday of the Taraz bathhouse. The Taraz bathhouse resembles the Khair al-Khair al-Gharbi bathhouse in the Middle East. The remnants of the city's water pipes also belong to the period of the baths. Its section with a length of 12.8 m has been studied. The water pipes are covered with flat stones laid on "pillows" of stone, rubble and soil. The ends of pipe breaks are made of clay. Water was supplied to the water supply system from the Talas dam through a pumping pool. Water from the reservoir was delivered through clay pipes to all areas of the city. The aqueduct stopped working in the 13th century.
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