Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmet Yassavi
It is located in the ancient city of Turkestan (South Kazakhstan Region) and is the central facility of Hazret Sultan Museum. Turkestan is one of the oldest cities on the Silk Road; in the Middle Ages it was a political and cultural center of the Turkic world and the ancient capital of the Kazakh khans.
This beautiful architectural complex was built more than 200 years after the death of the famous poet, Sufi and spiritual mentor of the Muslims in the region. The mausoleum on the burial place of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi was built at the order of the brave commander of Central Asia, Tamerlane, at the turn of the 15th century. Construction of the structure was completed after the death of the rigid conqueror.
For 10 years, the complex was erected by the best architects of Persia using the most advanced technology of the time. The mausoleum consists of more than 30 different rooms. These include the central hall, Yasawi shrine, mosque, bath, dining room, library and madrasah (school) ... One of the main sights of the mausoleum is tai-kazan, the biggest 2-tons bowl for water. The water was distributed to believers after Friday prayers.
According to the legend, the first attempts to build a mosque over the philosopher’s grave were unsuccessful. The erected walls would collapse each time. Only a saint, who appeared to Tamerlane in a dream, said that first they need to build a mausoleum over the grave of Arystan-baba who was Yasawi’s teacher, and so they did. This construction also forms a part of Hazrat Sultan Historical and Cultural Preserve Museum.
The Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi is on the World Heritage List of UNESCO.
