# Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, Turkestan > The Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi is Timur’s unfinished tomb for a 12th-century Sufi poet, the centrepiece of Turkestan in southern Kazakhstan. Entry is **5,000 ₸** for most foreign visitors and 2,000 ₸ for CIS citizens. It’s open daily, 8:00–18:30 since 1 September 2026. Allow an hour for the mausoleum and half a day for the whole reserve. It’s a working shrine: cover shoulders and knees; women need a headscarf. Web page: https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/khoja-ahmed-yasawi-mausoleum - City: [Turkestan](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan), Kazakhstan - YesGo score: 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 1 h - With kids: Fine with kids - Foreign visitors (non-CIS): 5,000 ₸ - CIS citizens: 2,000 ₸ - Kazakh citizens: 1,000 ₸; students and pensioners 500 ₸, schoolchildren 300 ₸ - Ticket covers: The mausoleum and its grounds, the Yasawi Museum and the Hall of Rare Exhibits - Hours: Daily 8:00–18:30 - Where to buy: Ticket desk at the entrance, or online via Ticketon - Payment: Foreign Visa and Mastercard usually work in Kazakhstan; carry some tenge cash for the desk - Dress code: Shoulders and knees covered; headscarf for women - Time needed: ≈ 1 hour; half a day for the reserve - Location: Hazret Sultan reserve, 3 min on foot from the main gate on Bekzat Sattarkhanov Avenue - Coordinates: 43.29764, 68.27104 - Facts checked: 02.11.2026 ## Key facts - **1389–1405** — built on Timur’s orders and abandoned unfinished when he died (source: English Wikipedia (start 1389); Russian Wikipedia (dates the start to 1395–1397)) - **18.2 m** — across — the Kazandyk hall’s dome, the largest surviving brick dome in Central Asia (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **2003** — Kazakhstan’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site (source: English Wikipedia; Wikidata Q46069) - **1093–1166** — Khoja Ahmed Yasawi’s lifetime — Turkic poet and head of a Sufi school in Yasi, today’s Turkestan (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **≈ 38–39 m** — height of the building under the main dome (source: English Wikipedia (38.7 m); Russian Wikipedia (39 m)) - **35+** — rooms around the central hall: tomb chamber, mosque, palace halls, library, refectory, well room (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Tonkosti) - **1399** — the taikazan was cast — a bronze ritual cauldron of about 2 tonnes, Timur’s gift (source: Russian Wikipedia; Tonkosti) - **1935 → 1989** — the cauldron went to the Hermitage in Leningrad and came back decades later (source: Caravan.kz (1935); Hazret Sultan reserve — 30th-anniversary exhibition of its return (2019); Russian Wikipedia gives 1934 and 1988) - **Bare brick** — the main portal never got its tile facing — work stopped in 1405 (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **Ablai Khan** — is buried inside, along with many other Kazakh khans and nobles (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **1397** — date on the bronze lamp in the main hall — another gift from Timur (source: Russian Wikipedia; Tonkosti) ## Yasawi Mausoleum tickets and opening hours Since 10 June 2026, foreign visitors from outside the CIS pay **5,000 ₸**, CIS citizens 2,000 ₸ and Kazakh adults 1,000 ₸. The prices were set by Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Culture and Information and published by the Hazret Sultan reserve, which runs the site. One ticket covers the mausoleum and its grounds, the Yasawi Museum and the Hall of Rare Exhibits. Buy it at the desk by the entrance or online through Ticketon, the platform the reserve itself links to. Bring your passport — the price depends on your nationality. Since 1 September 2026 the mausoleum and the museums on its grounds are open **daily, 8:00–18:30**, with no closing day. Hours shift with the seasons, so check the reserve’s latest notice if you’re visiting in summer. Paying: Visa and Mastercard issued outside Russia usually work across Kazakhstan, and taxi apps take cards. Still, keep some tenge cash for the ticket desk; unofficial reports mention ATMs on the grounds. > **Dress code: this is a working shrine** Pilgrims from all over Central Asia come here to pray. Cover **shoulders and knees** — men too. Women need a headscarf; bring your own rather than counting on a loaner at the door. Keep your voice down, don’t photograph people praying or walk in front of them, and don’t fly a drone over the reserve. ## How to get to the Yasawi Mausoleum 1. From Turkistan’s Hazret Sultan International Airport (HSA), about 22 km east of the old town, take a taxi — roughly 25 minutes. 2. From the railway station or the long-distance bus station on the west side of town, a taxi takes 10–15 minutes. Yandex Go works here and takes foreign cards. 3. Ask for the main gate of the Hazret Sultan reserve (Әзірет Сұлтан) on Bekzat Sattarkhanov Avenue — city buses stop there too. 4. Buy your ticket at the desk or show your Ticketon e-ticket. 5. Walk up the avenue to the portal — about 3 minutes. The [Rabiya Sultan Begim Mausoleum](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/rabiya-sultan-begim-mausoleum), the [Hilvet underground mosque](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/turkestan-hilvet) and the [medieval bathhouse](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/turkestan-bathhouse) are all 2–5 minutes away. ## Is the Yasawi Mausoleum worth visiting? Yes — it’s the reason to come to Turkestan, and one of the finest Timurid buildings anywhere. If you’ve already done Samarkand, this one is different: the unfinished portal shows the raw brick that the polished Samarkand façades hide. Come at opening time or in the last couple of hours: mornings are cooler and quieter, and late light warms the brick and tiles. Fridays around midday prayer and Muslim holidays bring many more pilgrims. Short on time? An hour inside is enough. But the rest of the reserve is a few steps away and makes an easy half-day walk. ## Who was Khoja Ahmed Yasawi and why is the mausoleum unfinished? **Khoja Ahmed Yasawi** (1093–1166) was a Turkic poet and Sufi master who led a school of mysticism in Yasi, the town now called Turkestan. He was buried in a small tomb that quickly became a pilgrimage site, and the town later took the name Hazrat-e Turkestan — “the saint of Turkestan”. In the late 14th century **Timur** ordered a vast new mausoleum over the grave and brought in craftsmen from the Persian cities he had conquered. He died in 1405 and the work stopped. The main portal never received its tiles. That unfinished state is what makes the building fascinating: you can see how it was made. The double dome, the tilework and the muqarnas tested here were later used across Timur’s empire. When Turkestan became the Kazakh Khanate’s capital, khans and nobles were buried around the shrine. ## What to see inside - **Kazandyk**, the 18.2 × 18.2 m main hall under the largest surviving brick dome in Central Asia. - The **taikazan** at its centre — a bronze cauldron cast in 1399, about 2 tonnes; on holy days it was filled with water for pilgrims. - The entrance to Yasawi’s **tomb chamber**, with its carved door and green-tiled cenotaph. - A bronze lamp dated 1397, also Timur’s gift. - The tombstone of **Ablai Khan** at the entrance to the large palace hall. - Outside: the bare brick portal, then the tiled patterns and inscriptions on the side and rear walls. - The turquoise ribbed dome over the tomb — best seen from the north-west side. > **Some rooms may be closed** Since September 2026 the reserve has been restoring the mosque and library rooms inside the mausoleum. The main hall with the cauldron is open, but smaller rooms may be shut. Accounts of the photo rules inside differ — ask the attendant at the door. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Shoulders and knees covered - [ ] Headscarf, for women - [ ] Tenge cash or a Ticketon e-ticket - [ ] Passport — the price depends on nationality - [ ] I’ll be there before 18:30 - [ ] An hour for the mausoleum, a couple more for the reserve - [ ] Water and a hat — there’s little shade in summer ## Turkestan’s shrines compared Mausoleums and mosques in and around Turkestan rated by YesGo. - [Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/khoja-ahmed-yasawi-mausoleum) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · 5,000 ₸ foreigners, 2,000 ₸ CIS - [Mausoleum of Rabiya Sultan Begim](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/rabiya-sultan-begim-mausoleum) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 15 min · Yasawi zone ticket · 2,000–5,000 ₸ - [Hilvet Underground Mosque](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/turkestan-hilvet) — YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · 5,000 ₸ foreigners · 2,000 ₸ CIS - [Arystan Bab Mausoleum](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/arystan-bab-mausoleum) — YesGo score 30/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 40 min · Small fee · amount not published - [Ukasha Ata](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/ukasha-ata) — YesGo score 29/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free entry (unofficial) ## The Hazret Sultan reserve in half a day Yasawi’s mausoleum, the tomb of Timur’s great-granddaughter, the underground cell, the medieval bathhouse and an evening at Keruen Saray. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and walks. 1. [Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/khoja-ahmed-yasawi-mausoleum) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · 5,000 ₸ foreigners, 2,000 ₸ CIS 2. [Mausoleum of Rabiya Sultan Begim](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/rabiya-sultan-begim-mausoleum) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 15 min · Yasawi zone ticket · 2,000–5,000 ₸ 3. [Hilvet Underground Mosque](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/turkestan-hilvet) — YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · 5,000 ₸ foreigners · 2,000 ₸ CIS 4. [Turkestan Oriental Bathhouse](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/turkestan-bathhouse) — YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · 5,000 ₸ foreigners · 2,000 ₸ CIS 5. [Keruen Saray](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/keruen-saray) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free entry; rides and shows extra ## Good to know The spelling varies — Yasawi, Yasavi, Yassawi, Yasaui; in Kazakh it’s Қожа Ахмет Ясауи кесенесі. Locals often just call the whole complex Hazret Sultan. Don’t confuse it with the Yasawi International Kazakh-Turkish University, also in Turkestan. ## Tips - Local pilgrims visit the [Arystan Bab Mausoleum](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/arystan-bab-mausoleum), tomb of Yasawi’s teacher, before coming here. It pairs well with the ruins of [Otrar](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/otrar) on the same day trip. - Cool off in the evening at [Keruen Saray](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/keruen-saray), a 10-minute walk east. - The best full shot of the portal and both domes is from the [citadel walls](https://yesgo.io/kazakhstan/turkestan/turkestan-citadel). - Consider a guide: most of the detail in the rooms is easy to miss without someone explaining it. - In summer the square is hot and shadeless at midday — come at opening time. ## Questions ### How much is the Yasawi Mausoleum entrance fee? 5,000 ₸ for foreign visitors from outside the CIS, 2,000 ₸ for CIS citizens and 1,000 ₸ for Kazakh adults. These prices apply since 10 June 2026. ### What are the opening hours? Since 1 September 2026, daily from 8:00 to 18:30. Summer hours can differ. ### How do I get to the Yasawi Mausoleum from the airport? By taxi: Hazret Sultan Airport (HSA) is about 22 km east, roughly 25 minutes. Ask for the main gate of the Hazret Sultan reserve. ### What should I wear? Cover shoulders and knees; women should wear a headscarf. Bring your own scarf. ### How long do you need at the mausoleum? About an hour inside. Half a day if you add Rabiya Sultan Begim, the Hilvet and the bathhouse. ### Is the Yasawi Mausoleum worth it? Yes. It’s Turkestan’s main sight and one of the most important Timurid buildings, with Central Asia’s largest surviving brick dome. ### Why is the mausoleum unfinished? Work ordered by Timur stopped when he died in 1405. The main portal never got its tile facing. ### Can I pay by card? Foreign Visa and Mastercard usually work in Kazakhstan, and you can buy online via Ticketon. Carry some tenge cash for the desk just in case. ### Can you take photos inside? Sources differ on the rules inside. Ask the attendant at the door, and never photograph people at prayer. ## How we checked Prices come from the Hazret Sultan reserve’s notice of 10 June 2026 and were cross-checked with NewTimes.kz; hours from the reserve’s notice of 28 August 2026. The reserve’s website footer still says 09:00–18:00 — the office hours — and an older price page gave 09:00–19:00; we show the latest notice. No closing day has been announced. Construction dates differ: English Wikipedia gives 1389 for the start, Russian Wikipedia 1395–1397, so we show both. Dome figures differ too: 18.2 m per English Wikipedia and the Kazandyk description in Russian Wikipedia, while other passages and Tonkosti give 22 m across and 44 m high; we keep 18.2 m. The cauldron’s return: 1989 per the reserve’s 30th-anniversary exhibition, 1988 per Russian Wikipedia; its removal: 1935 per Caravan.kz, 1934 per Wikipedia. ATMs on the grounds and card payment at the desk are unofficial. Sources disagree on photography and shoes inside, so we give no fixed rule. We found no confirmed city bus numbers to the reserve and name none. ## Sources - Hazret Sultan National Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve: notice on prices from 10.06.2026 (Ministry of Culture and Information order No. 242-nq of 25.05.2026) - Hazret Sultan Museum-Reserve: notice on opening hours from 01.09.2026; notice on restoration in the mosque and library rooms, 23.09.2026; tickets page - NewTimes.kz, 12.06.2026 — new entrance prices - English and Russian Wikipedia: Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi; Wikidata Q46069 - Tonkosti: Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi - Caravan.kz — on the taikazan and its removal in 1935 - Bucketlistly: Turkestan travel guide — Yandex Go and card payment for taxis - A Social Nomad: Turkestan travel guide — dress code, cash and ATMs --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.