Kz Ru En

Characteristics of Kazakhstan’s monuments

Qazaq Geography

Four main sections are proposed for consideration on the territory of Kazakhstan: Zhetysuisky (Semirechensky), Syrdarinsky, Saryarkinsky and Mangyshlaksky (Ural-Caspian),as well as a separate category that gives an idea of the formation of the Silk Road. After all, until recently it was generally accepted to consider the 2nd century BC as the initial date of the Silk Road. It was in 138 BC that Prince Zhang Jian was sent by Emperor Wu-Di to establish an alliance with the Yuezhi in western countries. This is a convenient starting point, but at the same time ignores the fact, confirmed by numerous archaeological studies, that trade relations between the states of Central Asia, China and the Mediterranean existed many centuries before Zhang Jian’s mission. In this regard, as mentioned above, a separate category is allocated – “Early period of the Great Silk Road formation (prehistory)”, which includes the following objects: Boraldai necropolis, Issyk necropolis, Besshatyr necropolis.

Zhetysuisky (Semirechensky) section of the GSRis marked, first of all, by the boundaries of the historical and geographic region known as Zhetysu (Semirechye). The diversity of the climatic zones of the region has become a determinant of both geographical landscapes and farming conditions. The variety of zones, including: sagebrush-steppe, grass-steppe, grass-steppe forest or meadow and high-altitude, determines the location of the local directions of the GSR located on these sections of monuments, their morphological features.

The general route along this artery was as follows: from Shasha (Tashkent), the road went to the Turbat pass, then to Ispijab (Sairam, Saryam, White City or Al-medinat al-Baida), then the road went in an easterly direction – to Taraz, then Jamukat, then the road followed to Kulan (Jiulen Chinese), then to the east to Mirki and Aspara cities, after which the road led to Issyk-Kul basin cities. From the Issyk-Kul basin through the Santash pass and Karkary River valley, the path ran along the Ili Valley and the right shore of Ili River, through Ussek and Khorgos vallyes, led to Almalyk. Ili Valley was also reached by another way – it stretched from Kulan, Aspara to the cities of the middle and lower reaches of Chu River from where the road went to the northern slopes of the Chuili Mountains and went down to the northern Balkhash region; or it went along the Chu, down and led to the cities on the northern slopes of Karatau.

On the territory of Ili Valley, the Silk Road route passed through small towns located on the site of modern Kastek, Kaskelen and Almaty and reached Talkhiz (Talgar) city. In Talkhiz, the Silk Road branched into the southern and northern. The southern route led through Issyk, Turgen, Chilik to the crossing over Ili – through Khorgos to Almalyk. The northern road from Talkhiz went along Talgar River to the crossing on the Ili River, which was located near the Kapchagai reservoir. After it, the path led to Chingeldy, then through Altyn-Emel pass, the road went down to Koksu Valley and reached Iki-Oghuz (Equius) city, located on the site of modern Kirovskoye village. From Iki-Oghuz the path went to Kayalyku (Koilaky) – the capital of the Karluk yabghu. Then the path followed into Tentek Valley and, having rounded Alakol Lake, went through the Dzungarian Gate and led to Shiho Valley.
Ili Valley was connected to Central Kazakhstan by a road that ran along the northern slopes of Chuili Mountains, then along Chu in its lower reaches, and then to Sarysu shores Another important route passed away from the north-Ili highway in the Chingilda area and through the Koktal and Boyauly passes to the Balkhash region, and then along the Ortasu Channel (Ili River), where the remains of Karamergen, Aktam and Agashayak cities are located to the Balkhash shore, and further along Uzun–Aral peninsula, which almost connects the southern and the northern shore of the Lake, leaving a strait a little more than 8 km wide. Here, on the cape, the remains of a settlement were found, most of which is flooded with water. It can be assumed that the caravans crossed the strait and waded into the mouth of Tokrau River and then along its shores - to the foothills of Ulutau.

The Syrdarinsky sectionis indicated by the well-preserved archaeological remains of cultural landscapes of oases and cities tied to major waterways (Chu, Syrdarya, Arys, Bugun) in terms of the modern steppe, desert and semi-desert area.
In the western direction from Ispidzhab, the caravan road led to Arsubaniket on Arys River, to Otrar (Farab), and then, down Syrdarya, to the Aral Sea region. On Syrdarinsky section, the largest cities were Otrar (Farab) and the cities of Otrar oasis, Yassy (Turkestan), Shavgar, Sauran, Sygnak, the cities of the Dzhetyasar oasis, Jend, Dzhankent, Khuvara. From Dzhankent, the road went to the northeast, to the shores of Beleuty River and led to the Kounrad, Karasakpai area.

TheSaryarkinsky sectionran on the territory of the “Great Steppe” of Central Kazakhstan – Desht-i Kipchak. The monuments of this region tend to numerous small rivers, the foothills of Ulytau, the shores of Ishim, Nura, Sarysu, Irtysh.

The so-called Sarysusky path led to Central Kazakhstan: from Otrar through Shavgar and Turgaisky Pass on Aksumba, it went to the lower reaches of Sarysu and up the river to Ulytau, and from there to Ishim along the Irtysh. A shorter route went through Suzak to the lower reaches of Chu, and from there – through Betpak-Dala desert – to the Dzhezkazgan area. Another way “Khanzhol” was used until modern times: it went from Taraz down the Talas through the sands of Muyunkum and Betpak-Dala to the shores of Atasu River. According to Tamim ibn Bahr and al-Idrisi, a trade route to the Kimaks on Irtysh led from Taraz through Adahkes and Deh Nujikes cities. Ili Valley was connected to Central Kazakhstan by a road running along the northern slopes of Chu-Ili Mountains, then along Chu River to its lower reaches and to the shores of Sarysu, as well as by the Northern Ili route described above. From the north-Ili way, which went to the Dzungarian Gate, the direction that skirted Alakul from the western side and through Tarbagatai led to Irtysh – to the lands of the Kimak state with Banjar, Hanaush, Astur, Sisan cities and the “capital” of Khakan went away. On Ishim River, these paths led to Bozok settlement and then to the north and west.

TheMangyshlaksky (Ural-Caspian) section of the GSR, located along the eastern shore of the Caspian Sea, is located in a special natural landscape of deserts and semi-deserts, characterized by a wide variety of these natural complexes and extreme climatic and natural conditions. The population of these areas was a conglomerate of nomadic and pastoral tribes that controlled trade routes tied to a system of wells, springs, small rivers, which left a special imprint on the material cultural monuments of the region.
It was possible to get to the lower reaches of Urals and Volga from Urgench, following the road of the Ustyurt caravanserais. Kyzylkala settlement was located on this section of the road. Passing through the territories of the Southern and Northern Aral Sea, trade arteries led to cities on the Ural River (Zhaik): Saraychik and Zhaiyk settlement. Then they led caravans in the western direction – to Europe, the Crimea and the Caucasus, as well as along Zhaiyk Way to the Southern Urals, the Urals, and the Volga region.

The directions of the Silk Road were not something frozen: for centuries, alternately, one or another of its sections and branches acquired the greatest importance; some died out altogether, and the cities and trading stations on them fell into decay.
It is possible to determine the time of intensive functioningof the above-listed sections of the GSR. In the VI-VIII centuries, the main route was Syria – Iran – Central Asia – South Kazakhstan – Talas Valley – Chuiskaya Valley – Issyk-Kulskaya Basin – East Turkestan. A branch of this route went to the above-mentioned route from Byzantium through Derbent to the Caspian steppes, and Mangyshlak, to the Aral Sea, Southern Kazakhstan (bypassing Sasanian Iran, after the conclusion of a trade and diplomatic alliance between the Western Turkic Khaganate and Byzantium). In the IX-XII centuries, this route was used with less intensity, but in the XIII-XIV centuries, it revived again (due to the emergence of the Mongol Empire).

I. The Zhetysuisky (Semirechensky) section of the Silk Road
in this nomination included the following objects:
1. Antonovka settlement - medieval Kayalyk (Kailak);
2 Talgar settlement;
3. Karamergen settlement;
4. Aktobe Stepninskoye settlement;
5. Akyrtas Archaeological Complex;
6. Ornek settlement;
7. Kulan settlement;
8. Kos Tobe settlement.

All eight sites of the so–called Zhetysuisky section of the Silk Road were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2014 as part of the serial transnational nomination “Silk Road: the network of routes of the Chang’an- Tien Shan Corridor”. This nomination was prepared jointly by Kazakhstan, China and Kyrgyzstan. The nomination includes 33 components.

II. The Syrdarinsky section of the Silk Road in this nomination includes the following objects:
9. Zhuan tobe settlement;
10. Karaspan tobe settlement;
11. Borizhara burial ground.
12. Kul tobe settlement;
13. Monuments of the Otrar oasis;
14 Turkestan settlement;
15. Sidak settlement;
16. Sauran settlement (Sauran Archaeological Complex);
17. Sygnak settlement;
18. Monuments of the Dzhetyasarsky oasis;
19. Zhankala (Jend) settlement;
20. Zhankent settlement;
21. Kuyuk-kesken kala settlement;
22. Chirik-Rabat settlement;
23. Babish-mullah settlement;
24. Balandy settlement.

III. The Saryarkinsky section of the Silk Road in this nomination includes the following objects:
25. Bozok settlement;

IV. Mangyshlaksky or Ural-Caspian section of the Silk Road
in this nomination includes the following objects:
26. Kyzylkala settlement.
27. Zhaiyk settlement;
28. Saraichik settlement
V. In the category “Early period of the GSR formation (prehistory)”
the following objects were included in this nomination:
29. Boraldai Necropolis;
30. Issyk Necropolis;
31. Besshatyr Necropolis.

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