Kazakhstan: Turkestan – Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi
Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi in Turkestan The UNESCO World Hertitage site of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi Mausoleum in Turkestan was built in 1389 on direct orders of Timur, the ruler of the largest empire in the Central Asia in history. The mausoleum was built for Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, a Sufi poet, philosopher, and political figure from the 12th century. The massive structure’s construction was unfinished in 1405 when Timur died, and the construction was halted. The mausoleum was the first monument of Timurid architecture and style that later became the norm throughout Timurid Empire (think Samarkand) and later incorporated throughout Persia and beyond. Massive dome, glazed blue and turquoise tiles and mosaics, patterned brickwork, big vaults, ornate portals – all the key elements were first used in this mausoleum – and it doesn’t fail to impress. It is by far the most important historic monument in Kazakhstan and is often viewed as the national symbol, and for many pilgrims it is the ultimate destination.
