Saraishyk. The bright brilliance of the Horde
During the heyday of the Golden Horde, by the decision of the great khans, the city of Saraishyk, which means "Small Palace", appeared in the valley of the Ural River, at the intersection of water and hiking routes connecting West and East, South and North.
The city of Saraishyk, although it was called "small", but, having an important strategic position on the northern branch of the Great Silk Road, became the largest city of the nomadic empire. Moreover, it was the center of a vast urban agglomeration. The city minted its own coin, metallurgy and ceramics were developed, water supply and sewerage were functioning.
In 1334, the famous Arab traveler ibn Batuta wrote about the ancient city: "Saraishyk is the largest city in the world after Baghdad. In the center stands the Khan's palace, it has four mosques and many caravanserais. A fortress wall with a height of 11 meters stands around the city, its thickness is equal to four meters. But the most amazing thing is that every house has water."
The Saraishyk State Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve is located 50 km from the city of Atyrau and consists of the Saraishyk visitor center, the Saraishyk Ethnographic Museum, the Pantheon of Khans memorial monument and the ruins of buildings and fortifications of the ancient city of Saraishyk.
Among the exhibits of the museum is a reconstructed mock–up of the city of Saraishyk from the 14th century and a rich collection of exhibits reflecting the daily life of the townspeople during several centuries of the city's existence.
Khan's Pantheon is a memorial erected in memory of seven khans of the Great Steppe, including Kazakh ones. It is an octagonal structure with a height of 17 meters, on which the names of the khans are carved on black marble and the dates of their reign are indicated.
Atyrau region, Makhambetskiy district, Saraichik village
Phone/Fax number: +7 (702) 059 78 58 +7 (712) 362 55 06
saraishyq.kz