Taraz
Kazakhstan · Zhambyl Region · 610 m
Description
Taraz has been a town on this spot for two thousand years and has carried four names, which is why the airport code still reads for a Soviet one. What survives from the old city is mostly funerary, and the finest of it stands outside town at Aisha Bibi, a small eleventh century tomb faced entirely in carved terracotta and matched by the plainer Babaji Khatun beside it. In town the Karakhan mausoleum and the Tekturmas ridge complex hold the same tradition. The bazaar was built over the excavated medieval city, and part of the dig is open beneath it.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 1 to 2 days (optimal 1 day)
Travel season
Best time to visit: April – May or September – October
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Aisha Bibi mausoleum and its terracotta(Day trip)
- Karakhan mausoleum in the centre
- Excavated medieval city under the bazaar
- Babaji Khatun mausoleum(Day trip)
- Tekturmas ridge complex and its bridge
- Zhambyl regional museum
- Dauytbek mausoleum
- Akyrtas palace complex on the steppe(Day trip)
- Central bazaar and its dried fruit
- Karatau nature reserve(Day trip)
Getting there
- Airports:
- DMB
- Train stations:
- Taraz