00:02From snow camp peaks to ancient Silk Road cities, the Turkestan region is where Kazakhstan's nature, history and spirituality come
00:10together.
00:11Welcome to Kazakhstan. Welcome to Modern Nomads.
00:18Modern Nomads has already explored Turkestan in Mausoleum of Hoca Ahmed Yasawi, a renowned 12th century Sufi poet and mystic.
00:26This time, we explore more of the Turkestan region, starting in Sayramugam National Park in the western Tianshan Mountains.
00:37Up here, the cool mountain air and alpine meadows offer a refreshing escape from the heat of southern Kazakhstan.
00:48These mountains attract climbers from around the world.
00:51Along the trails, commemorative plaques send us quiet reminders of the challenges these peaks can bring.
00:57Today, most visitors come to hike, camp and enjoy the spectacular scenery.
01:02It was really cool. We didn't make it up to the second lake, but the first lake we camped at
01:06for two nights. It was amazing.
01:07Beautiful. We saw some goats in the morning. Like a big group of 30 goats, I think.
01:14While Mark trails make it easy to explore the park, rangers ask visitors to keep noise down to protect the
01:21park's rare wildlife.
01:48More than 71,000 visitors have explored the public!
01:52Park this year, with accommodation available for even more. Our next stop is the ancient city of
01:58Otrar, once one of the greatest cities along the Silk Road. These gates lead into the 200-hectare
02:10ruins of the medieval city of Otrar. Today, all that's left are the wind, the sand and the remains
02:16of its streets. But with a little imagination, it's not hard to picture how this once thriving city
02:21coming back to life. Inside the citadel, the city's most heavily fortified district,
02:27we stepped into what was once a residential neighborhood. Here, reconstructed homes
02:31revealed the advanced technologies that existed centuries ago.
02:47Just beyond the houses stood the public bathhouse with its bathing pools. Within a short walk were the mosque,
02:54central square and the palace of Berzibekhan. As one of the Silk Road's busiest
02:59trading hubs, Otrar welcomed hundreds of merchants and travelers every day.
03:27The excavations are still underway and archaeologists continue to uncover Otrar's past. Here, our
03:34Mokhtar Koja e his team are excavating
03:36the remains of the oldest mosque
03:38discovered in the city so far
03:40dating back to the late 13th
03:42and early 14th centuries.
04:01With a 2000-year history
04:04Otrar was once a thriving
04:06Silk Road city before the Mongol
04:07invasion in the 13th century.
04:10Rebuilt and inhabited for centuries
04:12its story can now be explored
04:14through the ruins and artifacts
04:15at the Otrar Museum.
04:20Another remarkable site nearby
04:22is the mausoleum of Arstambab
04:24the 12th century spiritual
04:26teacher of Koja Ahmed Yasawi.
04:28Today it remains an important
04:30place of pilgrimage.
04:31The current structure is the fourth known
04:33reconstruction of the original mausoleum.
04:36These are two original
04:3814th century columns.
04:40The mausoleum once had six
04:42but only these have stood the test of time.
04:44This year the Turkestan region
04:46ranked among Kazakhstan's top five
04:48domestic tourism destinations
04:50for the first time.
04:51As more travelers discover
04:53its unique blend of history and nature.
04:55Obrigado.
