Ancient Astana. Island in the steppe ocean. 
If you ask local residents about the history of Astana, some may tell you that it began with the development of virgin lands in the 50-60s of the last century. Then about 2 million people from all over the USSR were sent here to sow the endless steppes of Central Kazakhstan with grain and provide the country with bread.
But the history of the capital as a city began much earlier. 
The lands of Central Kazakhstan have always been bustling with life. Here tribal confederations and nomadic kaganates were created and disintegrated, caravan routes passed through, and a fortress was erected. 

Bozok. Cycles of great history at one point. 
Nomads first settled here in the 7th-8th centuries. These were the ancient Turks who founded the fortified city of Bozok - a unique place in terms of economic development, military-strategic bridgehead and control over caravan routes on the Great Silk Road.  
Bozok was next chosen by the Kipchaks. A nomadic people recorded in Iranian sources as the founders of the country of Desht-i-Kipchak, and in Europe known as the Cumans. During the period of their power, in the X-XII centuries, the Kipchaks took an active part in geopolitical games along all the borders of the Great Steppe. 
On Bozok the Kipchaks had already settled down more thoroughly than the Turks. Here they erected a full-fledged fortress with a two-meter rampart. Apparently, they managed to take control of part of the Great Silk Road. And it was at this time that Bozok became a connecting link in the chain of caravan routes. 
Life was in full swing. The local population was engaged not only in the usual cattle breeding, but also introduced elements of settled agriculture - an irrigation network was discovered here. Moreover, due to the abundance of water resources, residents were actively involved in fishing. 
In the Islamic era, Bozok turned into a religious and cult center and a geographical landmark in the steppe for travelers and caravans. 
Finally, another significant stage in the history of the settlement occurs during the period of the Mongol Empire. It was the culmination of the scope of the nomadic civilization. The borders of the new super-education of nomads stretch across most of Eurasia. The significance of Bozok as a place to live, and even more so as a fortification, gradually faded away. Mausoleums of the Mongolian nobility and burials of ordinary warriors appear here. 
The spiral of historical cycles took a new turn already in the 20th century.  As stated above, the capital of the virgin land region, the city of Tselinograd, arose here. And this Kremlin project gradually grew into Astana, the capital of independent Kazakhstan. 
The Bozok settlement was first noted in his travel notes by mining engineer Ivan Shangin, who, as part of a mining and geological expedition, traveled from Siberia to Central Asia in 1816. 
Then local historian Leonid Semenov drew attention to Bozok, who carried out the first exploration work here in 1929-30. The now legendary Kazakh archaeologist Kimal Akishev, under whose leadership professional archaeological excavations began in 1999, thoroughly took up the study of the monument. 
Today, a reconstruction has been made of the ancient settlement, which is located 5 km west of Astana, on the left bank of the Ishim River.
In the State Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve “Bozok” you can get acquainted with the architecture, culture and way of life of medieval nomads.   
Astana, Tauelsizdik Ave. 54, block 6.
+7 7172 999062
rgkpbozok@gmail.com