← All articles · 2026-07-26

Otrar

Otrar in June 2016: the excavated ruins of a great Silk Road city, its rebuilt gate, the Arystan Bab Mausoleum and a yurt welcome out on the steppe.

A couple of hours out of Shymkent the steppe opens up and the history gets heavy. Otrar was one of the great Silk Road cities, the town that defied Genghis Khan and paid for it, and the birthplace of the philosopher al-Farabi. Today it is a low golden mound that archaeologists keep peeling open. We came in June 2016.

Excavated mud-brick walls and paved floors of the ancient city of Otrar under a hazy sky, dry steppe grass stretching to the horizon — Otrartobe, June 2016: a city coming back out of the mound, brick by baked brick.

Inga and Dileep on a wooden bridge in front of the rebuilt brick entrance gate of Otrar, its arched portal held up by timber scaffolding — The city gate mid-resurrection, scaffolding included at no extra charge.

Arystan Bab

A few kilometres away stands the mausoleum of Arystan Bab, revered as the teacher of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi. Tradition says pilgrims should pay their respects here first, then carry on to Turkistan. We followed the protocol.

The yurt welcome

The warmest architecture of the day was made of felt. A yurt by the road waved us in: patterned bands to the rafters inside, tea-table hospitality, and a junior delegation lining up outside for photos.

Inside a yurt, red lattice walls and roof poles hung with woven patterned bands, Dileep reclining at a low wooden table with two smiling hosts — Inside the yurt: every strap, band and tassel earning its keep.

Dileep standing with four children in front of a felt yurt with a colourful embroidered band above its doorway — The welcome committee, June 2016.

We did not stop there: the same day carried us on to the big one at Turkistan. Base yourself in Shymkent and you can do the whole run.