Landmarks and Attractions of Taraz

The tourists, visiting the ancient and young city of Taraz, have much to see. Caravanserais and craft producers, merchants’ warehouses and shops are perfectly preserved there. Taraz has two mausoleums which demonstrate the rich ancient past of Taraz.

One of them is the mausoleum of Aulie-Ata Karahan, built in the XI century over the grave of one of the rulers from the Karakhanid dynasty. The mausoleum is a portal-dome structure. Its walls are built of adobe brick of Karakhanid era. The mausoleum preserved an original gravestone.

The second mausoleum is Sha-Mansur, erected in the XIII century. It was built over the grave of one of the Mongol Khan governors, who died in 1262. This is confirmed by the inscriptions preserved on a stone slab.

Eighteen kilometers from Taraz, in Aisha Bibi village, located close to each other, there are two more ancient architectural and historical monuments which are of special interest to both academic researchers and tourists.

The Babaji-Khatun Mausoleum was built in the XI century. This landmark is famous for its unique sixteen-ribbed conical dome.

The second mausoleum is Aisha-Bibi, dating back to the XII century. This is the only Kazakhstan structure fully decorated with carved terracotta, or rather covered with rich decoration in the form of tiles with 60 samples of patterns and inscriptions. Its capitals and columns are made of terracotta blocks covered, as other walls, with a rich painting of ethnic patterns.

One of the towers in the corner of the Aisha-Bibi Mausoleum bears the carved words from the ancient distich: “Autumn ... Clouds ... the Earth is Beautiful”.