Turkestan. Center of the Turkic World

The importance of Turkestan is difficult to overestimate. This city was once the capital of the Kazakh Khanate. On March 31, 2021, at the VIII informal summit of the Cooperation Council of Turkic-Speaking States, a declaration was signed giving Turkestan the status of the spiritual capital of the Turkic world. 

Azret Sultan. Territory of traditions 
In 1977, the national historical and cultural museum-reserve “Azret-Sultan” was opened in Turkestan. The monument covers an area of ​​almost 90 hectares and includes the epic-scale Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi and other architectural objects: such as an oriental bathhouse, an underground mosque, madrassas of different eras, mausoleums and crypts, a citadel with a fortress wall, the barracks of Russian colonialists of the 19th century, an ancient settlement of the Kushan era and much more. 
The museum also houses many exhibits and collections of books, household items, coins and other artifacts in its collections. In total, the fund contains 25,594 valuable historical exhibits. 
The Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi is the central structure that unites all other architectural objects of the Azret Sultan Museum. This is a grandiose structure of the 14th-15th centuries in terms of size, engineering ideas, decorative design and quality of workmanship. It was created in honor of the Islamic associate, poet and thinker of the 10th-11th centuries. Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, who is still revered as a saint by all the peoples of Central Asia. The mausoleum is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. 
The eastern bathhouse in the city of Turkestan is interesting because it was built in the 16th century for pilgrims and was used by local residents for its intended purpose until 1975. That is, it functioned for 500 years. It is also unique in that it has underfloor heating, and from the time of its creation even detailed instructions on how to use it correctly have been preserved.  
The monument also has special significance as a national pantheon.
More than 300 historical figures are buried in the holy place: Zholbarys khan, Yesim khan, Zhangir khan, Tauke khan, Abylay khan, Kazybek bi, Zhanibek batyr, Bogenbai batyr. As a result of research by the museum-reserve staff, 231 burials were identified.
City of Turkestan, Amir Timur, 53a 
Tel./fax: 8 (72533) 3-23-00, 
E-mail: azret-sultan@mail.ru
Website https://azretsultan.kz/