The ancient settlement of Turkestan is an ancient city of Kazakhstan which for many centuries has played and plays a huge role in the history of the Kazakh steppe and the Kazakh people. At the moment, the settlement is located in the modern city of Turkestan in the South Kazakhstan region. Trade routes crossed here and therefore Turkestan was the center of politics and culture of the region. The ancient settlement of Turkestan is also known as the small Mecca, there are many religious shrines that attract Muslims from all over the world.
Since the X century, the city is known as Shavgar, two centuries later the city of Shavgar was abandoned and lost its commercial and cultural significance. Since the city was at the intersection of trade routes in the Middle Ages, the city experienced a heyday. In the XII century, the great thinker, poet and philosopher Khoja Ahmed Yasawi lived here, after the death of which a mausoleum was built in honor of him, which in the future was rebuilt by order of Emir Timur. In the XVI-XVIII centuries, the city became the capital of the Kazakh Khanate.
After archaeological research, it became known that part of the settlement where the mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi was located was the central citadel. Here are the underground mosque Hilvet, the mausoleum of Rabigi Sultan Begim, an oriental bathhouse. Also here are the mausoleums of Tauke, Tawakel, Esim, Dzhangir, Ablai. Shahristan is located to the west of the complex, even now you can see the remains of old walls, towers, made of pieces of clay.
The most outstanding and significant building on the territory of the settlement is of course the mausoleum of the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi. The height of the building is 38 meters, it is made of burnt bricks, many rooms inside. The walls outside and the domes of the building are covered with blue ceramics and beautiful frescoes. The building has a huge entrance. Inside the complex there are 35 rooms for various purposes, a mausoleum, a mosque, large and small palace halls, a library, outbuildings, a well, a dining room, and other rooms.
Scientist Rychkov P.I. explored the settlement of Turkestan, and he stated that Turkestan is located on the site of Iasi. Lerch P.I. He also confirmed that the city of Iasi used to be located on the site of present-day Turkestan.
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