Turkistan (also written Turkestan; the medieval Yasi) is the spiritual capital of the Kazakhs and, for many Central Asian Muslims, a place of pilgrimage second only to Mecca. It owes that status to Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, the 12th-century Sufi teacher and poet whose verses, written in a Turkic language ordinary people could understand, spread Islam across the steppe. He was buried here in 1166.
More than two centuries later, in 1389, Timur (Tamerlane) ordered a vast new mausoleum built over the modest tomb. Work stopped when Timur died in 1405, which is why the huge entrance portal is still bare brick, with the builders’ scaffolding beams poking out of it. The rest is finished in glazed turquoise, blue and white tilework and crowned by what is usually described as the largest surviving brick dome in Central Asia, about 18 metres across. UNESCO listed the building in 2003. Since 2018 Turkistan has also been a regional capital, and a whole new quarter of hotels, museums and the Karavan Saray entertainment complex has grown up beside the old town.
Top things to do at Turkistan
Walk around and through the Yasawi mausoleum
Start outside: circle the whole building to see the contrast between the raw brick portal and the tiled side and rear walls, which carry geometric patterns and Kufic inscriptions. Inside, the central hall holds the Taikazan, a two-tonne bronze cauldron cast in 1399 for holy water; it spent decades in the Hermitage in Leningrad and was returned in 1989. Around the hall are the tomb chamber, a small mosque with a fine tiled mihrab, and rooms where Kazakh khans and nobles were later buried.
See the smaller monuments around it
The ribbed turquoise dome just in front belongs to the mausoleum of Rabia Sultan Begim, a great-granddaughter of Timur. Nearby are the semi-underground Hilvet mosque, where Yasawi is said to have withdrawn in old age, a restored medieval bathhouse, and stretches of rebuilt citadel wall and gates that make a good frame for photographs.
Spend the evening at Karavan Saray
Opened in 2021, this is a modern, Silk-Road-themed quarter of shops, restaurants and hotels around an artificial canal with boat rides and evening shows. It is not history, but it is where the city comes to stroll after dark, and it makes an overnight stay easy.
Come back at sunrise or after dark
Day-trippers arrive around midday, when the light is flat and the heat fierce. The mausoleum is floodlit in the evening and glows at sunrise, when you may share it only with pilgrims. This is the main argument for sleeping in Turkistan.
How to get to Turkistan
- By road from Shymkent: about 170 km on a good dual carriageway, usually 2–2.5 hours. Shared taxis and minibuses leave from Shymkent’s bus stations when full; a private car with driver for the day is easy to arrange through any hotel.
- By train: Turkistan is on the main line and many trains from Shymkent stop there, taking roughly 2.5–4 hours depending on the service. Check current timetables with Kazakhstan Temir Zholy.
- By air: Turkistan’s own Hazret Sultan airport (HSA) has flights from Almaty and Astana and a changing list of other routes.
- On a tour: the simplest option — most day tours from Shymkent combine Turkistan with Otrar and Arystan Bab.
Insider tips
- This is a working shrine. Dress modestly — shoulders and knees covered; women may be asked to cover their hair inside.
- There is a modest entrance fee for the mausoleum interior and museum; the grounds are free to walk. Check current prices and hours on arrival.
- In June–August plan the monuments for early morning or late afternoon; midday temperatures regularly approach 40 °C and there is little shade.
- Local tradition says you should visit Arystan Bab, Yasawi’s teacher, before you visit Yasawi. Guided tours follow that order.
Best tours & tickets for Turkistan
These experiences are the easiest way to see Turkistan:
Guided day trip from US$220 From Shymkent: Turkistan and Otrar Day Tour with Guide
The best-reviewed Shymkent departure on GetYourGuide: a full day by car with a guide to the three great historic sites of the south — the mausoleum of Arystan Bab, the ruined Silk Road city of Otrar and the Timurid mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi in Turkistan.
- Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi (UNESCO)
- Arystan Bab mausoleum
- The excavated ruins of Otrar
Private day trip from US$202 From Shymkent: Turkistan One-Day Tour, All-Inclusive
A private day trip focused on Turkistan itself rather than Otrar: the Yasawi mausoleum and its surrounding monuments, then the modern Karavan Saray quarter. Check the listing for exactly what "all-inclusive" covers on your date. New, without reviews yet.
- Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi
- The Karavan Saray complex
- Private transport and guide
Overnight tour from US$280 From Shymkent: 2-Day Turkistan Tour with Meals & Hotel
Two unhurried days instead of one long one: transport from Shymkent, the historic sites, a hotel night in Turkistan and meals. Staying over lets you see the mausoleum floodlit in the evening and in the soft light of early morning. New listing, no reviews yet.
- A night in Turkistan
- Yasawi mausoleum by day and after dark
- Hotel and meals included
Private day trip from US$350 per group Turkistan Day Tour from Tashkent
A long private day from Tashkent across the border and up to Turkistan and back. It is a lot of driving, and the reviews are good rather than glowing — but it is the only way to see the mausoleum from Uzbekistan without an overnight stop.
- Border crossing arranged
- The Yasawi mausoleum
- Price is per group of up to three
