Turkestan is situated in the southern part of Kazakhstan, just northwest of Taraz, and is on the Trans-Aural Railway that runs to Tashkent in the south.  Turkestan is an ancient city of Central Asia, with artifacts almost 2000 years old.  Turkestan was an important trading center in the Middle Ages and became a major cultural center in Central Asia. The city Turkestan was perhaps the most important center of learning in Kazakhstan under Khoja Ahmad Yasavi.  Turkestan is a major pilgrimage spot, and has been called the second Mecca of the East.  Yasavi’s domed tomb is said to be one of the most important architectural monuments in all of Kazakhstan and is a definite favorite on travel tours.  Inside the vast palace complex travelers find the Kazan, the largest cast water vessel in the region.

Turkestan features other Central Asian wonders that hearken back to the Muslim and Russian influences in the area: mosques, Russian Orthodox churches, and the architectural complex Appak-lshan.  On a hill outside of Turkestan visitors can travel to the great tomb of the clairvoyant Domalak-Ana, from who three Kazakh tribes are supposedly descended.  A popular tour nearby is the monument to the hero Baidibek, who helped unify Kazakhstan.  Turkestan has always been a border city, close to Uzbekistan and Mongol areas and named for the invading Turks who came through the region.