Turkistan travel guide

In the 11th century CE, the great Sufi sheikh Khoja Ahmed Yasawi lived and preached here. At the end of the 14th century, Emir Timur ordered the creation of a large mausoleum, mosque and madrassah on the site of his grave. Later, it became the capital of the Kazakh Khanate, and a large number of Kazakh khans, batyrs, generals, and well-known statesmen of the Kazakh Khanate were buried here. Now this place has become a tourist attraction and a. Although historically part of the Kazakh Khanate, Turkestan used to have a majority population of Uzbeks, who constitute a large minority.

There is a string of relatively smart hotels between the Mausoleum and Merey bus station (Avtovokzal Merey). Asking around should yield a local or two with a spare room.

Getting around

Public buses operate in Turkestan. Public transport directions are available on Yandex Maps and 2GIS. A useful line is bus 15, which runs from the train station to the mausoleum via Merey bus station. A ticket costs 100 tenge; cash is accepted on board, and card or Kaspi QR payment may be available on buses with a validator or QR sticker (July 2026). The Yandex Go ride hailing app operates in Turkestan.

Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.