City in Turkistan Region, Kazakhstan
This article is about the city in Kazakhstan. For the general region, see
Turkestan
.
Place in Turkistan Region, Kazakhstan
Turkistan
(
Kazakh
:
Т?рк?стан
,
romanized:
Turkıstan
) 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
[
edit
]
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]
[
clarification needed
]
Pilgrimage
[
edit
]
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
[
edit
]
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
[
edit
]
In 2021, Keruen-Saray, Central Asia’s largest tourism complex, was opened in Turkistan. This unique attraction features merchants, artisans, a flying theater,
[
clarification needed
]
an amphitheater for equestrian shows, a bazaar, hotels, restaurants, a spa and fitness center, a cinema, and a family entertainment center.
[12]
Transport
[
edit
]
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
[
edit
]
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
(
Koppen
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 normals, 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)
|
2.1
(35.8)
|
5.6
(42.1)
|
14.3
(57.7)
|
22.3
(72.1)
|
28.9
(84.0)
|
34.6
(94.3)
|
36.6
(97.9)
|
35.2
(95.4)
|
29.1
(84.4)
|
21.0
(69.8)
|
11.0
(51.8)
|
3.6
(38.5)
|
20.4
(68.7)
|
Daily mean °C (°F)
|
?2.7
(27.1)
|
?0.1
(31.8)
|
7.5
(45.5)
|
15.3
(59.5)
|
21.7
(71.1)
|
27.1
(80.8)
|
29.0
(84.2)
|
27.4
(81.3)
|
20.8
(69.4)
|
12.6
(54.7)
|
4.5
(40.1)
|
?1.5
(29.3)
|
13.5
(56.3)
|
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)
|
?6.8
(19.8)
|
?4.7
(23.5)
|
1.8
(35.2)
|
8.7
(47.7)
|
14.3
(57.7)
|
18.9
(66.0)
|
20.4
(68.7)
|
18.8
(65.8)
|
12.3
(54.1)
|
5.1
(41.2)
|
?0.7
(30.7)
|
?5.6
(21.9)
|
6.9
(44.4)
|
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)
|
25.3
(1.00)
|
26.2
(1.03)
|
31.1
(1.22)
|
23.1
(0.91)
|
20.9
(0.82)
|
8.3
(0.33)
|
3.8
(0.15)
|
2.2
(0.09)
|
1.8
(0.07)
|
12.0
(0.47)
|
26.3
(1.04)
|
26.3
(1.04)
|
207.3
(8.16)
|
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 precipitation days
(≥ 1 mm)
|
5.4
|
5.4
|
4.5
|
4.3
|
3.4
|
1.6
|
0.5
|
0.4
|
0.5
|
2.4
|
4.6
|
4.9
|
37.9
|
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: NOAA (sun 1961-1990)
[13]
[14]
|
Source 2: Pogoda i klimat (extremes)
[15]
|
Twin towns ? sister cities
[
edit
]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- 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
.
- Hulsewe, 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.
External links
[
edit
]
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