# Things to do in Turkestan: top sights and where to go

> Turkestan is the Hazret Sultan reserve: the turquoise-domed Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, the Rabiya Sultan Begim mausoleum, the underground Hilvet mosque and the old bathhouse stand 2–5 minutes' walk apart inside the citadel walls, with the canal-side Keruen Saray complex 10 minutes east — half a day to a full day covers them. Keep a second day for a car trip to the ruined Silk Road cities of Sauran and Otrar, the Arystan Bab mausoleum and the Ukasha Ata well, 35–60 km away.

Web page: https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan

## Ready itineraries

- [One day in Turkestan: an itinerary in the best order](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/in-1-day.md): The UNESCO-listed Yasawi mausoleum, the underground Hilvet cell, a 16th-century bathhouse, Rabiya Sultan Begim's tomb, the citadel walls and Keruen-Saray.

## All 10 places with the YesGo score

- [Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/khoja-ahmed-yasawi-mausoleum.md): YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · 5,000 ₸ foreigners, 2,000 ₸ CIS. The Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi is Timur’s unfinished tomb for a 12th-century Sufi poet, the centrepiece of Turkestan in southern…
- [Mausoleum of Rabiya Sultan Begim](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/rabiya-sultan-begim-mausoleum.md): YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 15 min · Yasawi zone ticket · 2,000–5,000 ₸. The Mausoleum of Rabiya Sultan Begim is a small octagonal tomb with a turquoise dome in Turkestan’s Hazret Sultan reserve, about 60 m…
- [Turkestan Citadel Walls](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/turkestan-citadel.md): YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Reserve ticket: 5,000 ₸ for foreigners. The Turkestan Citadel Walls are the 16th–19th-century mud-brick fortifications, with crenellations, a round tower and the East Gate, two…
- [Keruen Saray](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/keruen-saray.md): YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free entry; rides and shows extra. Keruen Saray — signposted as Karavansaray Turkistan — is a new Silk Road–style complex of canals, bridges, shops and hotels, a…
- [Hilvet Underground Mosque](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/turkestan-hilvet.md): YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · 5,000 ₸ foreigners · 2,000 ₸ CIS. The Hilvet is a semi-underground Sufi mosque and retreat inside the Hazret Sultan reserve, a 2–3-minute walk south of the Yasawi…
- [Turkestan Oriental Bathhouse](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/turkestan-bathhouse.md): YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · 5,000 ₸ foreigners · 2,000 ₸ CIS. The Oriental Bathhouse is a half-buried late-16th-century hammam in the Hazret Sultan reserve, a 2–3-minute walk south-west of the Yasawi…
- [Arystan Bab Mausoleum](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/arystan-bab-mausoleum.md): YesGo score 30/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 40 min · Small fee · amount not published. Arystan Bab Mausoleum is a working Sufi shrine in Otrar District, **about 60 km south of Turkestan** (roughly an hour by car) and 3 km…
- [Otrar](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/otrar.md): YesGo score 30/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · KZT 500, children KZT 200. Otrar (Otyrar) is the ruined Silk Road city on a mound up to 18 m high, **about 59 km south of Turkestan** (an hour by car) and 3 km from…
- [Ukasha Ata](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/ukasha-ata.md): YesGo score 29/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free entry (unofficial). Ukasha Ata is a pilgrimage site 35 km north of Turkestan: a long shrine with a 21 m grave slab and a sacred well where pilgrims haul up…
- [Sauran](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/sauran.md): YesGo score 28/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free (unofficial). Sauran is a ruined medieval walled city about 45 km north-west of Turkestan, off the Kyzylorda highway. A 2,360 m oval of mud-brick walls…

## Turkestan travel guide

Before you go: the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, Keruen-Saray, ancient Otrar and Sauran, weather by month.

## Trip essentials

- How many days: 1–2 days with Otrar and Sauran
- When to go: April–May and September–October
- From Shymkent: Train or car ≈ 2–2.5 h
- Airport: Turkistan (HSA) — flights from Almaty and Astana
- Time zone: UTC+5

## Key facts

- **2003** — the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi joined the UNESCO World Heritage List (source: UNESCO World Heritage List, No. 1103)
- **1389–1405** — Timur ordered the mausoleum built — its dome is among the largest in Central Asia (source: Wikipedia, “Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi”)
- **Otrar** — an ancient Silk Road city, birthplace of the philosopher al-Farabi (source: Wikipedia, “Otrar”)
- **2019** — the Keruen-Saray complex opened, with canals and shows (source: Wikipedia, “Turkistan”)

## Things to do in Turkestan

Turkestan’s highlights are the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi inside the citadel, the Rabiya Sultan Begim mausoleum, the underground Hilvet mosque and the old bathhouse. Nearby is the Keruen-Saray complex, and around the city the Arystan Bab mausoleum, Otrar and Sauran. Every place with its YesGo score is in the list above; the “Map” button shows them on a map.

| Where | What to see | Time |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Citadel** | [Yasawi](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/khoja-ahmed-yasawi-mausoleum), [Citadel](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/turkestan-citadel), [Rabiya Sultan](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/rabiya-sultan-begim-mausoleum) | 2 h |
| **Nearby** | [Hilvet](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/turkestan-hilvet), [Bathhouse](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/turkestan-bathhouse), [Keruen-Saray](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/keruen-saray) | 2 h |
| **Surroundings** | [Arystan Bab](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/arystan-bab-mausoleum), [Otrar](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/otrar) | ½ day |
| **Ancient towns** | [Sauran](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/sauran), [Ukasha Ata](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/ukasha-ata) | ½ day |

Rather not plan it yourself? The list above has a ready itinerary, with places in a sensible order.

## Turkestan weather by month

Turkestan lies in the southern Kazakh steppe: summers are very hot, up to 37 °C, and winters cold but short. April–May and September–October are best.

- **January in Turkestan**: day ≈ 3°C, night ≈ -7°C, rainy days: 6. Cold.
- **February in Turkestan**: day ≈ 6°C, night ≈ -6°C, rainy days: 7. Cold.
- **March in Turkestan**: day ≈ 14°C, night ≈ 1°C, rainy days: 8. Spring, Nauryz.
- **April in Turkestan** (best time): day ≈ 23°C, night ≈ 8°C, rainy days: 7. Warm — a great time.
- **May in Turkestan** (best time): day ≈ 29°C, night ≈ 14°C, rainy days: 6. Warm, hot by day.
- **June in Turkestan**: day ≈ 35°C, night ≈ 19°C, rainy days: 2. Heat.
- **July in Turkestan**: day ≈ 37°C, night ≈ 21°C, rainy days: 1. Peak heat.
- **August in Turkestan**: day ≈ 35°C, night ≈ 18°C, rainy days: 1. Hot.
- **September in Turkestan** (best time): day ≈ 28°C, night ≈ 11°C, rainy days: 1. Warm — the best month.
- **October in Turkestan** (best time): day ≈ 19°C, night ≈ 4°C, rainy days: 4. About 19°.
- **November in Turkestan**: day ≈ 10°C, night ≈ -2°C, rainy days: 5. Cool.
- **December in Turkestan**: day ≈ 4°C, night ≈ -6°C, rainy days: 6. Cold.

The Yasawi mausoleum is lit up in the evening — come after sunset.

## Turkestan ticket prices

The citadel grounds are free. You pay to enter the mausoleum museum, Keruen-Saray and for trips to Otrar.

- [Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/khoja-ahmed-yasawi-mausoleum) — 5,000 ₸ foreigners, 2,000 ₸ CIS
- [Mausoleum of Rabiya Sultan Begim](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/rabiya-sultan-begim-mausoleum) — Yasawi zone ticket · 2,000–5,000 ₸
- [Turkestan Citadel Walls](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/turkestan-citadel) — Reserve ticket: 5,000 ₸ for foreigners
- [Keruen Saray](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/keruen-saray) — Free entry; rides and shows extra
- [Hilvet Underground Mosque](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/turkestan-hilvet) — 5,000 ₸ foreigners · 2,000 ₸ CIS
- [Turkestan Oriental Bathhouse](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/turkestan-bathhouse) — 5,000 ₸ foreigners · 2,000 ₸ CIS
- [Arystan Bab Mausoleum](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/arystan-bab-mausoleum) — Small fee · amount not published
- [Otrar](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/otrar) — KZT 500, children KZT 200
- [Ukasha Ata](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/ukasha-ata) — Free entry (unofficial)
- [Sauran](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/sauran) — Free (unofficial)

## Tips

- The Yasawi mausoleum is a shrine: cover shoulders and knees; women cover their hair.

## Questions

### Is Turkestan worth visiting?

Yes — the UNESCO-listed Yasawi mausoleum is one of the masterpieces of Timurid architecture, with Silk Road sites like Otrar nearby.

## Sources

- UNESCO World Heritage List, No. 1103
- Wikipedia, “Turkistan”; “Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi”; “Otrar”

Facts checked: 09.11.2026

---

This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.