Turkistan
Түркістан
Türkıstan
Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi
Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi
Turkistan is located in Kazakhstan
Turkistan
Turkistan
Location in Kazakhstan
Coordinates: 43°18′07″N 68°16′09″E / 43.30194°N 68.26917°E / 43.30194; 68.26917
Country Kazakhstan
RegionTurkistan Region
Government
 • Akim (mayor)Nūrbol Tūraşbekov Äbdısattarūly
Population
 (2023)
 • City300,000
 • Urban
250,000

Turkistan (Kazakh: Түркістан, romanized: Türkıstan) is a city and the administrative center of Turkistan Region of Kazakhstan, near the Syr Darya river. It is situated 160 km (100 mi) north-west of Shymkent on the Trans-Aral Railway between Kyzylorda to the north and Tashkent to the south. Its population has increased in ten years from 102,505 (1999 Census results)[1] to 142,899 (2009 Census results).[1] Turkistan's most prominent historical and cultural asset is the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, a UNESCO World Heritage site.[2] The city is served by Hazrat Sultan International Airport.

In 2021, Turkistan was proclaimed by the Organization of Turkic States as "Spiritual Capital of the Turkic World".[3] In the same year, Turkistan was named as one of the top ten tourist destinations in Kazakhstan.[4]

History

Turkistan, one of Kazakhstan's historic cities, has an archaeological record dating back to the 4th century.[5]

The city emerged as a commercial hub following the decline of Otrar, an ancient city with remnants located southeast near the Syr Darya. For a significant portion of the medieval to early-modern era, it was referred to as Iasy or Shavgar. By the 16th-17th centuries, it was named Turkistan or Hazrat. Both names originate from 'Hazrat-i Turkistan', translating to "the Saint of Turkistan". This title honors Khoja Akhmet Yassawi, an 11th-century Sufi Sheikh from Turkistan, who lived and rests in the town.

Owing to his impact and in honor of his legacy, the city evolved into a significant hub for spiritual growth and Islamic education for the inhabitants of the Kazakh steppes. In the 1390s, Timur, the Turco-Mongol leader and the originator of the Timurid dynasty, constructed an impressive domed mazar or mausoleum over Yassawi's resting place. This structure stands as one of the most notable architectural landmarks in Kazakhstan. Until 2006, its image was featured on the reverse side of the country's banknotes.

The city also boasts other significant historical landmarks such as a medieval bath-house and four mausoleums. One of these is dedicated to Rabiya Sultan Begim, Timur's great-granddaughter, while the other three pay tribute to Kazakh khans (rulers).

Prior to the 19th-century Russian arrival, Turkistan was positioned at the boundary between the established Perso-Islamic oasis civilization of Transoxiana to its south and the vast expanse of the Kazakh steppes to its north.

Between the 16th and 18th centuries, Turkistan rose to prominence as the capital of the Kazakh Khanate,[6] becoming the political epicenter of the Kazakh steppe. However, as the Russian Empire expanded its conquests and weakened the Kazakh Khanate, smaller southern states were overtaken. By 1864, Russian General Veryovkin had captured Turkistan for the Kokand Khanate. Subsequently, under Russian rule, it became a part of the Syr-Darya Oblast in the Governor-Generalship of Russian Turkistan. Following the collapse of the Tsarist regime between 1917-18, it briefly joined the Turkistan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. By 1924, it became a part of the Kazakh ASSR within Soviet Russia.

On June 19, 2018, Shymkent was removed from the South Kazakhstan Region and placed directly under the governance of Kazakhstan. Concurrently, Turkistan became the regional administrative hub, and the region was renamed the Turkistan Region.[7]

In 2021, it was announced that the first 5G city will be set up in Turkistan. This project will be sponsored by Kcell and Ericsson.[8]

Pilgrimage

Landsat satellite photo of Turkistan

The city draws thousands of pilgrims. As per local tradition, visiting Turkistan three times is akin to a single hajj to Mecca, a sentiment echoed in other revered sites across the Muslim world. Such high regard for the Saint led to Turkistan being dubbed the Second Mecca of the East, profoundly influencing the spiritual essence of Kazakhstan's Muslim community.[9]

Demographics

Turkistan had a population of 165,000 in the 2019 census. The population rose by 10% from 1989 to 1999, making it the second fastest-growing town in Kazakhstan, after the new capital Astana.

The ethnic composition of the city:

The ethnic composition of the city according to the 1897 census:[10]

At the same time the ethnic composition of the Chimkent uyezd (Chimkent district) which included the city of Turkistan according to the 1897 census:[11]

Tourism

In 2021, Keruen-Saray, Central Asia’s largest tourism complex, was opened in Turkistan. This unique attraction features merchants, artisans, a flying theater, an amphitheater for equestrian shows, a bazaar, hotels, restaurants, a spa and fitness center, a cinema, and a family entertainment center. [12]

Transport

The city transport in Turkistan consists of buses and taxis.

Turkistan is served by Hazrat Sultan International Airport. It is located 15 km (9.3 mi) NE from the centre of city.

Geography and climate

Turkistan may be reached by train from Almaty, in a journey of nearly 20 hours. The road trip from the nearest airport at Shymkent takes about two hours.

Turkistan experiences a cool semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk) with short, cold winters and long, dry, very hot summers. The vast majority of the annual precipitation falls between late autumn and late spring.

Climate data for Turkistan (1991–2020, extremes 1882–present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 18.7
(65.7)		 26.4
(79.5)		 30.7
(87.3)		 36.3
(97.3)		 40.5
(104.9)		 46.9
(116.4)		 47.9
(118.2)		 46.5
(115.7)		 41.9
(107.4)		 35.3
(95.5)		 27.9
(82.2)		 21.6
(70.9)		 47.9
(118.2)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 1.8
(35.2)		 5.4
(41.7)		 14.2
(57.6)		 22.2
(72.0)		 28.9
(84.0)		 34.6
(94.3)		 36.4
(97.5)		 35.2
(95.4)		 28.9
(84.0)		 20.8
(69.4)		 10.5
(50.9)		 3.2
(37.8)		 20.2
(68.4)
Daily mean °C (°F) −2.9
(26.8)		 −0.1
(31.8)		 7.4
(45.3)		 15.3
(59.5)		 21.8
(71.2)		 27.2
(81.0)		 29.0
(84.2)		 27.3
(81.1)		 20.7
(69.3)		 12.5
(54.5)		 4.2
(39.6)		 −1.7
(28.9)		 13.4
(56.1)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −7.0
(19.4)		 −4.7
(23.5)		 1.6
(34.9)		 8.6
(47.5)		 14.3
(57.7)		 18.8
(65.8)		 20.4
(68.7)		 18.8
(65.8)		 12.2
(54.0)		 5.1
(41.2)		 −1.0
(30.2)		 −5.7
(21.7)		 6.8
(44.2)
Record low °C (°F) −33.6
(−28.5)		 −38.6
(−37.5)		 −25.0
(−13.0)		 −8.4
(16.9)		 −2.8
(27.0)		 3.2
(37.8)		 6.4
(43.5)		 3.4
(38.1)		 −5.5
(22.1)		 −14.3
(6.3)		 −31.8
(−25.2)		 −33.0
(−27.4)		 −38.6
(−37.5)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 25
(1.0)		 26
(1.0)		 31
(1.2)		 23
(0.9)		 21
(0.8)		 8
(0.3)		 4
(0.2)		 2
(0.1)		 2
(0.1)		 12
(0.5)		 26
(1.0)		 26
(1.0)		 206
(8.1)
Average extreme snow depth cm (inches) 4
(1.6)		 2
(0.8)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 2
(0.8)		 4
(1.6)
Average rainy days 5 6 8 8 7 4 2 1 2 4 7 6 60
Average snowy days 7 6 2 0.3 0 0 0 0 0 0.3 2 5 23
Average relative humidity (%) 79 73 63 50 43 33 34 32 36 51 69 79 54
Mean monthly sunshine hours 138 155 199 247 337 382 401 383 315 248 167 122 3,094
Source 1: Погода и Климат (Weather and Climate)[13]
Source 2: NOAA (sun, 1961–1990)[14]

Twin towns – sister cities

See also

Footnotes

  1. 1 2 "Население Республики Казахстан" [Population of the Republic of Kazakhstan] (in Russian). Департамент социальной и демографической статистики. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  2. ↑ "World Heritage List". UNESCO.
  3. ↑ "Turkistan Declaration of the Informal Summit of the Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States". Turkic Council.
  4. ↑ "Kazakhstan Selects Top 10 Tourist Destinations". The Astana Times. 16 June 2021. Retrieved 2021-09-27.
  5. ↑ "Archeological monuments of Turkistan". Natcom.unesco.kz. Retrieved 2012-04-22.
  6. ↑ Туркестан — столица Казахского ханства
  7. ↑ "Публичное подписание Указа "О некоторых вопросах административно-территориального устройства Республики Казахстан"" (in Russian). President of Kazakhstan. 19 June 2018. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  8. ↑ "First Fully 5G City in Kazakhstan to Be Founded in Turkistan". The Astana Times. 13 December 2021. Retrieved 2021-12-13.
  9. ↑ Privatsky (2001)
  10. ↑ Демоскоп Weekly — Приложение. Справочник статистических показателей
  11. ↑ Демоскоп Weekly — Приложение. Справочник статистических показателей
  12. ↑ "Turkistan Opens Keruen-Saray - Central Asia's Largest Tourist Complex". The Astana Times. 12 April 2021. Retrieved 2021-09-28.
  13. ↑ "Weather and Climate - The Climate of Turkestan (Turkistan)" (in Russian). Weather and Climate (Погода и климат). Archived from the original on 25 November 2016. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
  14. ↑ "Turkestan Climate Normals 1961-1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
  15. ↑ "Kardeş Şehir Hamm" (in Turkish). Afyonkarahisar. Retrieved 2022-08-28.
  16. ↑ "Kardeş Belediyeler" (in Turkish). Keçiören. Retrieved 2022-08-28.
  17. ↑ "Токаев и Алиев подписали декларацию об «укреплении стратегических отношений» между Казахстаном и Азербайджаном". Радио Азаттык (in Russian). Azattyq Radiosy. 2022-08-24. Retrieved 2022-08-28.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Turkistan (city).
  • Hill, John E. (2009) Through the Jade Gate to Rome: A Study of the Silk Routes during the Later Han Dynasty, 1st to 2nd Centuries CE. BookSurge, Charleston, South Carolina. ISBN 978-1-4392-2134-1.
  • Hulsewé, A. F. P. and Loewe, M. A. N. 1979. China in Central Asia: The Early Stage 125 BC – AD 23: an annotated translation of chapters 61 and 96 of the History of the Former Han Dynasty. E. J. Brill, Leiden. ISBN 90-04-05884-2.
  • Kropotkin, Peter Alexeivitch (1888). "Turkestan" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 23 (9th ed.). pp. 631–640.
  • Privratsky, Bruce G. (2001). Muslim Turkistan: Kazak Religion and Collective Memory Curzon Press, Richmond, Surrey UK.
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