Should you ask Kazakh citizens what places are worth
visiting in their country, with no doubts, they will mention Turkistan as one
of the MUSTs.
Is it really that spectacular?
Well, it is definitely a MUST-SEE for those who limit
their exploration of Central Asia to KZ only. (They make a huuuge mistake, btw,
but hey, it's their call).
Turkistan is famous for the most impressive monument
in KZ, a huge complex mausoleum of Khodja Ahmed Yassaui, 41m high, with
turquoise domes and flocks of pidgins flying around. Nothing more is going on
there…
Started by the great Tamerlane, the mausoleum was
never finished (noticed untiled domes and wooden timbers protruding from the
walls?) yet it fully deserves its place on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list.
Mostly thanks to its size and stunning tilework, the hallmark or Timur's era
(more to be seen in Uzbekistan)
Who was Khodja Ahmed Yassaui?
In a nutshell, Khodja Ahmed Yassaui was born round
1103 in Sayram and orphaned at the age of seven. He moved with his sister to
Yassai (today’s Turkistan) and became a student of Arslan Bab (legend has it,
Arslan Bab was a companion of the Prophet Muhammad). On the death of his
teacher, Ahmed moved to Bukhara, UZ, became a disciple of Sheikh Yusup
Hamadani, important proclaimer of Sufism in central Asia. Ahmed chose to return
to Yassi, took the name Ahmed Yassaui and became a highly successful propagator
of Islam, based around Sufi tradition. He was also an great poet using the
local Turkic language in his religious poetry making it more accessible to
ordinary people.
At the age of 63, that reached by the Prophet
Muhammad, Ahmed retired to the underground cell where he lived and prayed till
the end of his life. He stated that he did not wish to live a worldly life any
longer than that of the Prophet. In the 12th century once flourishing settlements, like
the one of Shavgar, started their decline in favour of Yassi (Yassi was
initially a small satellite town). The town’s fortunes were linked to the
presence of Khodja Ahmed Yassaui there and the settlement became a place of
pilgrimage on his death.
Today, Turkistan is a major Sufi pilgrimage centre and
pilgrims outnumber tourists a
great deal. Apparently, if you make the pilgrimage there 3 times, it equates
one to Mecca. (Well, it
rings a bell, doesn’t it...;)
Do not be surprised to share a marshrutka with a family of Kazakh pilgrims, of
all ages, heading to Turkistan to pray for a groom for their daughter/sister/cousin
etc. who is already 25, not married and
therefore a major embarrassment for the family...
To sum up, is
it worth the bother? Well, it is a landmark, it’s quite impressive (again, go
to UZ and impressive will smack you over the head at each turn) and it’s easy to
reach, so why not. Going in spring/summer be prepared for the heat…bottle of
water will save your day. Or 3 just to be safe J
The easiest
route to get to Turkistan, or rather the most common one is to travel from
Shymkent. Marshrutkas leave on a “full bus” basis from numerous bus stations
around the town. Ask the locals/ taxi drivers to make sure which one to go to.
On a good day you can get to T. within 2,5 h.
