Turkistan Sights: Mausoleum, Bathhouse and Citadel
At a Glance
| Sight | Where | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Yasawi Mausoleum | Azret Sultan reserve | UNESCO 1103, 5,000 KZT for non-CIS foreigners |
| Hilvet underground mosque | about 150 m away | semi-subterranean |
| Eastern Bathhouse | about 80 m south-west | museum, c.1580 to 1590 |
| Rabiga Sultan Begim | about 60 m south-east | late 15th century |
| Friday Mosque | old town | museum inside |
| Gauhar Ana | about 4 to 6 km | taxi |
Priority One: The Yasawi Mausoleum
Timur ordered work to begin in 1389. When he died in 1405 the building was left unfinished, and it stands on the site of a smaller 12th-century mausoleum. UNESCO inscribed it in 2003 as Kazakhstan’s first World Heritage Site. The dome is about 38 m high.
On entry you pass turnstiles, show a printed ticket and an ID document, and go through screening. The precinct has been fenced since February 2026. Foreign visitors from outside the CIS pay 5,000 KZT, about US$10, which includes the Yasawi museum and the Rare Exhibits Hall. The usual hours are roughly 09:00 to 18:00, so confirm them at the ticket office.
Since the dome sits under a protective canopy and 35 interior rooms are being reconstructed, expect screens and closed doors. Contractors give a four-year timeline, and in 2026 the boiler room, Big and Small Aksaray, the mosque and four corridors are scheduled. The Kazandyk hall with the Tayqazan cauldron is described by guides as visitable, so ask on the day.
Treat it as a living shrine. Cover shoulders and knees, women should cover their hair, and shoes may need to come off. Assume photography is not permitted in the tomb chamber, and never film worshippers.
Priority Two: Smaller Monuments
- Hilvet: the underground mosque tied to Yasawi’s retreat. Ask whether it is included in your ticket.
- Eastern Bathhouse: nine rooms with floor heating channels, built under Khan Abdullah and in public use until the late 1970s.
- Rabiga Sultan Begim: a daughter of Ulugh Beg is commemorated in this reconstructed mausoleum.
- Friday Mosque: 12th-century origins, rebuilt in the later 19th century and restored in 2000.
Priority Three: The Old Town’s Edges
Kultobe is a settlement mound beside the mausoleum that preserves the earliest layers of Turkistan. Pieces of the 19th-century citadel wall and gates remain, with conservation work under way since summer 2026. Further out, Gauhar Ana is the mausoleum of Yasawi’s daughter. The Museum of the History of Turkistan and Uly Dala Eli (about 1,800 KZT, open until about 17:40) give you indoor time in summer.
Tips
Go early, bring water and keep the afternoon for museums or the Karavansaray, where entry is free.
Read more: attraction tours in Turkistan covers guided visits.
See the UNESCO listing and the ticket price report on NewTimes . Tours are searchable on GetYourGuide .