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     The Silk Road Kazakhstan



Great Silk Road - the ancient international trading - diplomatic line connecting originally China with the countries of Central Asia, Caspian area, the Mediterranean and the Western Europe.

Ancient Silk Road
    

The main ways a period
of the Roman empire heyday,
about 200 years of A.D.
    

The period of Mongolian empire,
about 1260 years of A.D.
    

Silk Road
in approx the 2 Century A.D.
    

Silk Road
in approx the 7 Century A.D.
    

Silk Road
in approx the 13 Century A.D.
    

Northern or so-called "Steppen" way, coming through Semirechje and the south of Kazakhstan.
In 6-7 centuries with the formation of a powerful empire - Turkic kaganat it becomes the main artery of the international communication functioning till the 14 century through East Turkestan and China up to the Pacific coast.
The silk way, being transcontinental communication system of trade and economic, diplomatic and cultural relations of the East and the West, has sped up the development of city culture on the territory of Kazakhstan in Ili, Chu valleys and on the Otrar-Syr-Darya oasis.
The development of this Silk Road' space occured either by means of expansion and strengthening of numerous early city and rural settlements, occurrence military - administrative, trading - craft areas and agricultural districts around them and constructions of huge amount of new trading - craft city formations, the religious centres, ethnic colonies, military strengthenings.
22 ancient cities are known on the territory of south Kazakhstan up to 7 century, including castels of governors -tortkul and rural settlements, from the 7th till 9th centuries their number has increased up to 61. Thus on the Chinese and Persian maps 30 large cities appeared. In the Southwestern part of Semirechje from 36 ancient cities of the 6-7th centuries, 22 are mentioned by medieval authors as cities. Researchers mark, that Talasskaja and Chujskaja valleys correspond with densely populated oases of Central Asia by amount of cities.
Rough growth of cities falls on the 11-13 centuries in the Northeastern part of Semirechje. If it was 10 settlements totaled at the 9-10 centuries here, there were already 70 of them at the 11-13 centuries.
Ancient cities on the territory of Almaty city and Almaty area, Taraz, fortified settlements in valleys of Chu and Talas are related to the period of formation of saks and gunno-usun unions. Early urban systems in Syr-Darya and Otrar oases are developed during the first marks of our era on the base of Kangun settlements. So, various structures of cities were formed.
For the northeastern part of Semirechje it is characteristic one-private structure of cities as "tortkuley" - trading - administrative centres, cities of refuges or caravans - sheds.
In the southwestern part of Semirechje the cities have two-private structure with a citadel and shakhristan, having powerful fortification and agricultural district enclosed with long walls.
Cities of Southern Kazakhstan are formed as the Central Asian cities with precise three-private division into a citadel, shakhristan and rabad, each having fortified walls.
Turkestan, Almaty, Taraz occupy a special place in a system of cities of Kazakhstan's part of the Silk Road cities, also medieval settlements Khurluk, Turbat, Isfijab, Kulan, Mirki, Talkhiz, Zharkent, Kayalyk and others, existing till present time.
About present time the Kazakhstan site of a line of the Silk way represents a unique complex of monuments of a history, archeology, architecture, town-planning and monumental art.




You will find additional information in corresponding city section you intend to visit


More information:
Kazakhstan [ RUS ENGL ]
Welcom to Kazakhstan [ RUS ENGL ]
The central State museum of Republic of Kazakhstan [ RUS ]
Balkhash city history and economy museum [ RUS ]
State museum of arts named after A. Kasteeva [ RUS ]
Pavlodar history and economy museum named after G.N. Potanin [ RUS ]
Mangistau history and economy museum [ RUS ]
Archaeology Museum attached to Archaeology institute named after A.Kh. Margulan [ RUS ]
People's musical instruments Museum named after Ykhlas [ RUS ]
Archaeological museum of Kazakh State University [ RUS ]
Historical museum of Kazakh State University [ RUS ]
Biological museum of Kazakh State University [ RUS ]
Republic of Kazakhstan National currency Museum [ RUS ]
Aktobe Regional history and economy museum [ RUS ]
Kostanay Regional history and economy museum [ RUS ]

   
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