--- title: "Top 10 Things To Do in Turkistan, Kazakhstan | Wimup" description: "The 10 best things to do in Turkistan: the Yasawi mausoleum, the Hilvet underground mosque, Rabiga Sultan Begim, Keruen-Saray's canals, the ruins of Sauran and Otrar, and the pilgrim road to Arystan Bab." url: https://wimup.com/city/turkistan type: City guide updated: 2026-10-19 publisher: Wimup (https://wimup.com) --- # Top 10 Things To Do in Turkistan Turkistan, Kazakhstan · Asia · By Wimup Editorial, 11 min read Turkistan is Kazakhstan's pilgrim town. Timur's unfinished mausoleum for the Sufi poet Khoja Ahmed Yasawi stands over a walled old town, Keruen-Saray's canals and caravanserai hotels sit in front of it, and the Silk Road ruins of Sauran and Otrar lie an hour's drive out on the steppe. ## Quick answer Turkistan is one building and the country around it. Give day one to the Azret Sultan reserve: the Yasawi mausoleum and its bronze Taikazan, the Hilvet underground mosque, Rabiga Sultan Begim and the bathhouse, then Keruen-Saray's canals after dark. Day two, hire a driver for Sauran's walls and Otrar, stopping at Arystan Bab, where pilgrims traditionally begin. Go in spring or autumn: July runs well past 35°C. ## Quick facts - **Best months:** Apr · May · Sep · Oct - **Ideal length:** 2 days - **Budget per day:** $35–75 - **Language:** Kazakh, with Russian widely understood - **Getting around:** Walk the old town, taxi or hire a driver for the steppe - **Tourism board:** [↗ Website](https://kazakhstan.travel/en/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ## The 10 best things to do in Turkistan ### 1. Stand under Yasawi's dome Landmark · Azret Sultan reserve, old town Timur's mausoleum for the Sufi poet, left unfinished at his death in 1405 and a UNESCO site since 2003. The brick dome over the central hall is the largest in Central Asia; come early, before the tour groups and the heat. - **Time:** 1.5 hrs - **Cost:** Ticketed - **Best at:** Opening time - **Tip:** Free on the third Sunday of each month Links: [Azret Sultan](https://azretsultan.kz/eng/?p=8006&utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) · [UNESCO](https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1103/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 2. Go down into the Hilvet mosque Landmark · Azret Sultan reserve, beside the mausoleum A semi-underground mosque from the 12th century, used until the 20th, where tradition says Yasawi withdrew to pray. It is small and dim; the reserve ticket covers it. - **Time:** 20 mins - **Cost:** Ticketed - **Best at:** Morning - **Tip:** Remove shoes and keep voices low Links: [Azret Sultan](https://azretsultan.kz/eng/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 3. See Rabiga Sultan Begim's tomb Landmark · Azret Sultan reserve The 15th-century mausoleum of Ulugbek's daughter, wife of Abulkhair Khan, pulled down in the 1890s and rebuilt in the early 1980s. It stands a short walk from the mausoleum. - **Time:** 20 mins - **Cost:** Free outside - **Best at:** Late afternoon - **Tip:** Walk the reserve walls on the way Links: [Azret Sultan](https://azretsultan.kz/eng/?p=8019&utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) · [Kazakhstan Travel](https://kazakhstan.travel/en/tourist-spot/257/mausoleum-of-rabiga-sultan-begim?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 4. Walk through the East Bathhouse Museum · Azret Sultan reserve A domed 16th-century bathhouse dated to about 1580 to 1590, now a museum. The reserve's combined ticket covers it alongside the mausoleum and the Hilvet mosque. - **Time:** 20 mins - **Cost:** Ticketed - **Best at:** Midday, out of the sun - **Tip:** Buy the reserve ticket once Links: [Azret Sultan](https://azretsultan.kz/eng/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 5. Read the city at the History Museum Museum · Azret Sultan reserve The Museum of the History of Turkistan fills a 1905 barracks of the Russian garrison, with coins and finds from the mausoleum. Visit it before the reserve and the monuments make more sense. - **Time:** 1 hr - **Cost:** Ticketed - **Best at:** Morning - **Tip:** Ask for an English-speaking guide Links: [Azret Sultan](https://azretsultan.kz/eng/?p=8436&utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 6. Climb the Kultobe hillfort Landmark · Beside the Yasawi mausoleum The mound where Turkistan began: a cross-shaped citadel and Kushan coins of the 2nd century AD, the oldest evidence of urban life in Kazakhstan. Excavations continue, and an archaeological park is being built around them. - **Time:** 45 mins - **Cost:** Free outside - **Best at:** Sunset - **Tip:** Check which areas are open Links: [Kultobe](https://kultobe.com/en/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 7. Take Keruen-Saray's canals at dusk Landmark · In front of the Yasawi mausoleum A 20.5-hectare tourist town opened in 2021, with hotels, a bazaar and a canal that runs a boat show between them. Go after dark, when the mausoleum is lit across the water. - **Time:** 2 hrs - **Cost:** Free to walk - **Best at:** After dark - **Tip:** Eat in the old town for less ### 8. Walk the walls of Sauran Ruins · 44 km northwest of Turkistan A 13th to 18th-century Silk Road city whose fortress walls still run 850 by 660 metres, 3 to 6 metres high in places. It is open steppe with no shade, so go early with water. - **Time:** Half day - **Cost:** Free - **Best at:** Early morning - **Tip:** Hire a driver; no bus reaches it Links: [Azret Sultan](https://azretsultan.kz/eng/?p=8217&utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) · [Kazakhstan Travel](https://kazakhstan.travel/en/tourist-spot/174?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 9. Stand in the ruins of Otrar Ruins · Otrar oasis, about 60 km south The city whose governor killed Genghis Khan's envoys and brought the Mongol siege of 1219. Its mosque, palace and wall sections were restored in the 2000s, and the visitor centre has a hall on al-Farabi. - **Time:** Half day - **Cost:** Free outside - **Best at:** Spring morning - **Tip:** Combine with Arystan Bab ### 10. Browse the Regional Museum Museum · Turkistan Opened in 1920, one of the oldest museums in the country: four halls of archaeology, ethnography, the Kazakh Khanate and independence, over 88,000 objects in all. Best on a hot afternoon. - **Time:** 1 hr - **Cost:** Ticketed - **Best at:** Afternoon - **Tip:** Start in the Khanate hall Links: [Kazakhstan Travel](https://kazakhstan.travel/tourist-spot/en/153/-turkestan-regional-museum-of-local-history?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ## Inside the Azret Sultan reserve The walled museum-reserve around the mausoleum, founded in 1978. 1. **Taikazan cauldron** (Inside the mausoleum · Yasawi mausoleum): A bronze cauldron cast in 1399, held in the Hermitage from 1935 and returned in 1989. [Azret Sultan](https://azretsultan.kz/eng/?p=6324&utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) 2. **Old town walls** (Free · Old town): The reserve's old town walls and gates, the best way to circle the monuments. 3. **Tombs of the Kazakh khans** (Inside the reserve · Yasawi mausoleum): Khans and nobles were buried by Yasawi, Abylai Khan among them. ## Pilgrimage sites around Turkistan The shrines a traditional pilgrimage to Yasawi takes in. 1. **Arystan Bab mausoleum** (14th-16th century · About 60 km south): The tomb of Yasawi's teacher, near Otrar; pilgrims traditionally stop here first. 2. **Gauhar Ana mausoleum** (Short taxi ride · South of Turkistan): The shrine of Yasawi's daughter, rebuilt in 2014 to 2015 after collapsing in the 1940s. [Azret Sultan](https://azretsultan.kz/eng/?p=8074&utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) 3. **Ukasha Ata** (Half day · About 55 km north): A mausoleum and well at the foot of the Karatau mountains. 4. **Ibrahim Ata and Karashash Ana** (Combine with Shymkent · Sairam): The tombs of Yasawi's parents in Sairam, where the pilgrim route begins. ## Best museums in Turkistan Smaller collections inside and around the reserve. 1. **Juma Mosque** (Ticketed · Azret Sultan reserve): An 18th-century mosque in the reserve, now a museum. 2. **Archaeology and Ethnography Museum** (Ticketed · Azret Sultan reserve): Finds from the oasis and the steppe, run by the reserve. 3. **Ethno-aul** (Part of the reserve · Kazanat hippodrome): Thirty yurts near the Kazanat hippodrome, furnished as a nomad camp. ## Keruen-Saray, the tourist town The complex opened in 2021 between the canal and the mausoleum. 1. **Merchants' street** (Free to walk · Keruen-Saray): A rebuilt Silk Road street of craft shops and workshops. 2. **Oriental bazaar** (Shopping · Keruen-Saray): The complex's covered market for textiles, ceramics and sweets. 3. **Equestrian amphitheatre** (Check show dates · Keruen-Saray): Built for a staged horse show on nomad history. 4. **Altyn Samruk flying theatre** (Ticketed · Keruen-Saray): A seated flight over Kazakhstan for small timed groups. ## Where to eat in Turkistan Plov, grills and Kazakh home cooking, all cheap by Almaty's standards. 1. **Kafe Daulet** (Kazakh · Old town): A plain local cafe a short walk from the mausoleum. 2. **Sandyk** (Grill · Turkistan): Grilled meat and shashlik, for dinner. 3. **Wow Plov** (Uzbek · Turkistan): Uzbek plov from the kazan, best at lunch. ## Turkistan by area A compact old centre, a tourist town and a new capital quarter. 1. **The old town** (Walkable · Centre): The walled reserve, the mausoleum and Kultobe. 2. **Keruen-Saray** (Best at night · Centre): Hotels and canals in front of the mausoleum. 3. **The new administrative centre** (By taxi · Outskirts): The government quarter built since Turkistan became a regional capital in 2018. ## Best day trips from Turkistan South to the cities, northwest to the Syr Darya ruins. 1. **Shymkent** (2 to 2.5 hrs by road · South): Kazakhstan's third city and its airport, about 165 km south. 2. **Tashkent** (Overnight better · South): Uzbekistan's capital, about 300 km away over the border. [City guide](https://wimup.com/city/tashkent.md) 3. **Sygnak** (Long day · Kyzylorda Region): A Kipchak capital by the 12th century, on UNESCO's tentative list. [UNESCO](https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/6568/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ## Festivals & annual events in Turkistan (2026) - **Nauryz** (21–23 March): The spring new year: yurts in the ethno-aul, kures wrestling, arkan tartu and nauryz kozhe. - **Oraza Ait** (Moves each year): The end of Ramadan, marked with family meals and visits to the mosque. - **Unity Day** (1 May): The Day of Unity of the People of Kazakhstan, a public holiday. - **Victory Day** (9 May): Wreaths and veterans' events; a public holiday. - **Kurban Ait** (Moves each year): Eid al-Adha; its first day is a public holiday. - **Constitution Day** (30 August): A public holiday at the end of the hottest weeks. - **Republic Day** (25 October): A public holiday in the best of the autumn weather. - **Independence Day** (16 December): Marks independence in 1991; cold, quiet and cheap for hotels. ## Must-try dishes in Turkistan, Kazakhstan - **Beshbarmak**: Boiled meat over flat noodles with onion broth, the national dish. - **Plov**: Rice, mutton and yellow carrot from the kazan, the default lunch in the south. - **Kazy**: Horse-meat sausage, sliced cold for feasts. - **Shubat**: Fermented camel's milk, sour and fizzy. - **Kumys**: Fermented mare's milk, a summer drink. - **Baursak**: Fried dough puffs served with tea at every table. - **Tandyr samsa**: Meat pastries baked on the wall of a clay oven. - **Kurt**: Hard, salty balls of dried curd, sold at the bazaar. ## Turkistan transport & airports - **Hazrat Sultan International Airport** (HSA): East of the city, with direct flights from Almaty and Astana. Take a taxi into town. - **Train** (Turkistan station): On the Orenburg to Tashkent line. A daily train to Almaty takes about 15 hours; Shymkent is 2.5 to 4. [Kazakhstan Railways](https://bilet.railways.kz/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - **Road** (From Shymkent): Buses and shared taxis cover the 165 km from Shymkent in about two hours, the usual link from the south. - **Taxi and driver** (Local): Walk the old town and Keruen-Saray. Take a taxi to Gauhar Ana; hire a driver for Sauran, Otrar and Arystan Bab. ## Turkistan at a glance - **Country:** Kazakhstan - **Region:** Turkistan Region, its capital since 2018 - **Population:** 165,000-230,000 (estimates differ by source) - **Founded:** Kultobe settled by the 2nd century AD; medieval Yasi - **Nickname:** The spiritual capital of the Kazakhs - **Language:** Kazakh; Russian widely understood - **Currency:** Kazakhstani tenge (KZT) - **Time zone:** UTC+5 - **Calling code:** +7 - **Airports:** HSA Hazrat Sultan International; CIT Shymkent about 165 km - **Power:** 220V · Type C/F - **Emergency:** 112 ## Interesting facts - Timur ordered the Yasawi mausoleum and died in 1405 before it was finished; the front portal still shows it. - The Taikazan, a bronze cauldron cast in 1399, spent 1935 to 1989 in the Hermitage before coming home. - Abylai Khan, the 18th-century Kazakh ruler, is buried in the Yasawi complex. - Kultobe's Kushan coins are the oldest evidence of urban life found in Kazakhstan. - Turkistan replaced Shymkent as the capital of its region in 2018. ## Turkistan travel FAQ ### How many days do you need in Turkistan? Two. One for the Azret Sultan reserve: the Yasawi mausoleum, the Hilvet mosque, Rabiga Sultan Begim, the bathhouse and the museums, then Keruen-Saray after dark. One with a driver for Sauran, Otrar and Arystan Bab. ### How do you get to Turkistan from Almaty? Fly: there are direct flights from Almaty and Astana to Hazrat Sultan International. The daily train from Almaty takes about 15 hours, and Shymkent is a two-hour drive south if you fly in there. ### What should you wear at the Yasawi mausoleum? It is an active pilgrimage site. Cover shoulders and knees, bring a headscarf if you are a woman, take shoes off where asked and keep voices down. Photography rules differ room to room, so ask first. ### When is the best time to visit Turkistan? April and May, or September and October. July and August highs pass 35°C on open steppe with no shade, which makes Sauran and Otrar hard going. Winters are cold but quiet. ### Can you visit Turkistan from Tashkent? Yes, but not comfortably as a day trip: it is about 300 km with a border crossing at the Kazakh frontier. Stay at least one night, and use Shymkent as the halfway stop. ## Nearby guides - [Tashkent](https://wimup.com/city/tashkent.md): Uzbekistan · 10 picks - [Khujand](https://wimup.com/city/khujand.md): Tajikistan · 10 picks - [Osh](https://wimup.com/city/osh.md): Kyrgyzstan · 10 picks - [All of Asia →](https://wimup.com/asia): 90 cities Part of the [Kazakhstan guide](https://wimup.com/country/kazakhstan.md) · [Asia](https://wimup.com/asia.md) ## Sources - [Turkistan tourism board](https://kazakhstan.travel/en/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Stand under Yasawi's dome: Azret Sultan](https://azretsultan.kz/eng/?p=8006&utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Stand under Yasawi's dome: UNESCO](https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1103/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Go down into the Hilvet mosque: Azret Sultan](https://azretsultan.kz/eng/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [See Rabiga Sultan Begim's tomb: Azret Sultan](https://azretsultan.kz/eng/?p=8019&utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [See Rabiga Sultan Begim's tomb: Kazakhstan Travel](https://kazakhstan.travel/en/tourist-spot/257/mausoleum-of-rabiga-sultan-begim?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Read the city at the History Museum: Azret Sultan](https://azretsultan.kz/eng/?p=8436&utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Climb the Kultobe hillfort: Kultobe](https://kultobe.com/en/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Walk the walls of Sauran: Azret Sultan](https://azretsultan.kz/eng/?p=8217&utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Walk the walls of Sauran: Kazakhstan Travel](https://kazakhstan.travel/en/tourist-spot/174?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Browse the Regional Museum: Kazakhstan Travel](https://kazakhstan.travel/tourist-spot/en/153/-turkestan-regional-museum-of-local-history?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Taikazan cauldron: Azret Sultan](https://azretsultan.kz/eng/?p=6324&utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Gauhar Ana mausoleum: Azret Sultan](https://azretsultan.kz/eng/?p=8074&utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Sygnak: UNESCO](https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/6568/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Train: Kazakhstan Railways](https://bilet.railways.kz/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - Rankings are Wimup editorial picks. Prices, durations and budgets are editorial estimates, not live quotes; check the official site before you go.