MAUSOLEUM OF AHMED YASAWI

Ahmed Yasawi was a poet and prophet of the twelfth century. When he died in 1166, his disciples built a small mausoleum, currently located inside the large building. The big mausoleum dates back to 1397, and was built on order of Tamerlan. The construction of this complex complex was interrupted by the death of Tamerlan in 1405, before resuming in 1595 under the direction of the Khan de Boukhara, Abdulah Khan. The upper parts of the arches date from this period. The portal is the largest in Central Asia: it is 38 m high, for a facade of 50 m wide and an arch of 18 m. The defensive system on the facade dates from the nineteenth century, and was built under the reign of the sultan of Kokand. The minarets were then converted to observation posts for soldiers defending the Turkestan region. Wooden beams that are still seen above the façade used to hoist the materials needed to build the upper parts of the monument. The facade of the mausoleum has a specific character of construction: all bricks are horizontal, and all ceramics of color are vertical. Light blue ceramics draw Arabic letters, while dark blue ones are actually punctuation between the various inscriptions.

The original doors of the mausoleum, solid wood, date from 1399. They are currently displayed inside the main room. The doors now in place are more recent. On top, registration in Arabic warns that doors will open for friends and remain closed for enemies. The central part of the mausoleum is overcome by a dome of 15 m in diameter, one of the largest in Central Asia. In the center of the room is a gigantic bronze cauldron, silver, iron and gold that contains sacred water. Eight doors open on the sides of this first room, giving access to 35 rooms.

The «white palace», with its access to the bottom on the right, served as a meeting room for the Kazakh kings and reception room to welcome foreign dignitaries. From the sixteenth century, most local khans were buried under this room. The proximity of Yasawi's grave is supposed to provide them with protection. Nearby is the «small white palace», reserved for intimate conversations. Other dignitaries are buried in this room.

A door to the bottom on the right makes it possible to see Yasawi's tomb. The tomb is green marble, without any inscription. Yasawi is buried with his wife and son. Pilgrimages take place every Friday, but access to this room, the most sacred of the whole complex, is reserved for Muslims. Next to the window by which non-Muslims can see the tomb is a graveled stone representing the genealogy of Kazakh khans.

The door to the left of the main room gives access to the mosque. It is overcome by a small dome nicely decorated and pierced with sixteen small windows. At the bottom of the mosque, on the left, is a pilgrim cell. It's just a model, because the cells were actually on the first floor.

Next to the mosque was the library. Two corennials dating from the twelfth and seventeenth century were preserved, before being transferred to the National Library of the country.

The door opens to the left immediately after the entrance of the main room gives access to the kitchens. Saltwater, wheat and sheep soups were prepared in large pots before being transferred to the wooden "auges" (those exposed dates from the xivth century) which allowed the distribution of meals to pilgrims.

A well is also inside the mausoleum, but its access is not currently permitted.

In front of Yasawi mausoleum are several small mausoleum, or at least their foundations. The one on the left (if you are facing the main mausoleum) dates back to the sixteenth century, but has been recently renovated. On the right are the foundations of another mausoleum. Opposite is the girl of Oybek's daughter, who was one of Tamerlan's grandsons. The young woman, died in 1485, married a Khan local, giving birth to two future Kazakh Khans. Its mausoleum dates from the end of the fifteenth century, but it was renovated some twenty years ago.

Behind the mausoleum is a small brick structure. She served as a meeting room for collective prayers and fasting periods for Ramadan. It has since been transformed into mausoleum.

A mosque dated in 1878 dominates the mausoleum complex from a small hill located just above. This mosque is no longer active, and has been transformed into a museum. Forty and a few mosques active in Turkestan, this one is the oldest and only preserved. All the other mosques currently active in the city are modern construction.

The twelfth century underground mosque, also on the hill, is a true local curiosity. It houses in a room the underground cell where Yasawi withdrew at the age of 63 (referring to the age of death of the prophet Mohammed). The first room is a living room, whose walls are entirely covered with frescoes representing the 99 names of God in Kazakh, Arabic and Russian. The mosque itself is a small piece that opens to the bottom of the common room. You can see an enlightened well leading to Yasawi's cell. The entrance is made by a staircase located in the most part of the building.

This very beautiful stone and brick construction is in fact a reconstitution… you can take a look at the ruins of the original building just opposite the entrance.

The sixteenth century baths are, on the other hand, original. They were active until 1975 and are now converted to a museum. The first room was devoted to resting and tasting multiple cups of tea. The main piece was the one where we were washing: It has a very fine architecture, with its sharp arcades, brick domes and naturally sieved lighting. A small increase was reserved for the hot water bath, another to the cold water bath, and the benches of the bottom served as a massage room. An unavoidable visit.

The museum is located in the large rectangular building east of Yasawi mausoleum. It traces the local history and presents some beautiful pieces (the mock-up of the mausoleum is quite interesting), although the lack of explanations in English can be regretted.