Taraz, Aisha Bibi and the mystery of Akyrtas
An ancient Silk Road city, a mausoleum covered in carved terracotta, and a giant unfinished palace of red stone.
- Region
- South
- Start from
- Almaty or Shymkent
- Distance
- about 500 km from Almaty
- Time needed
- 1–2 days
- Best season
- April – October
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Transport
- Train to Taraz; taxi for the sites
- Permits
- Small tickets at the sites
Why go
Taraz is one of the oldest cities in Kazakhstan, with a history going back well over two thousand years. It's a modest regional city today, but it holds some remarkable monuments.
The Aisha Bibi mausoleum, a short drive from town, is a small medieval building entirely decorated with carved terracotta tiles in dozens of patterns. Its legend of two lovers is told to every visitor and the craftsmanship is exquisite.
Akyrtas, east of Taraz, is a vast complex of massive red sandstone blocks laid out like a palace or caravanserai, apparently never completed. Archaeologists still debate who built it and why. Walking among the blocks with the mountains behind feels genuinely mysterious.
The story
Taraz officially celebrated its 2,000th anniversary in 2002. In the Middle Ages it was an important trading and craft city on the Silk Road, with a mint and a famous market.
The legend of Aisha Bibi tells of a young woman who set off to marry her beloved, the ruler Karakhan, against her father's will, and died of a snake bite before the wedding. Karakhan built the mausoleum in her memory. Next to it stands the mausoleum of Babaji Khatun, her nanny, who stayed to look after the grave.
Akyrtas has puzzled researchers for over a century. Some think it was a Buddhist or Nestorian monastery, others a palace of an early medieval ruler, others a caravanserai. The massive red stone blocks, some weighing several tonnes, show it was a serious project, but there's no sign it was ever finished.
Getting there
Trains run from Almaty and Shymkent to Taraz. In town, use taxis; for Aisha Bibi and Akyrtas, hire a driver for half a day.
Akyrtas is reached via a short gravel road; any normal car is fine in dry weather.
A suggested plan
- MorningAncient settlement of Taraz and the regional museum.
- MiddayAisha Bibi and the neighbouring Babaji Khatun mausoleum.
- AfternoonAkyrtas, best in the late afternoon light.
- EveningDinner in Taraz; try local lagman and samsa.
Where to stay
Several decent hotels in central Taraz.
Good to know
- A local guide makes Akyrtas much more interesting; the theories are fascinating.
- Combine with Shymkent and Turkestan for a week in the south.
- Little shade at Akyrtas; bring water and a hat.
- Don't climb on the old blocks; they are part of an archaeological site.