ASTANA – The city of Turkistan unveiled a tourism season at the Keruen-Sarai complex on March 16, reported the Turkistan Region akimat’s (city administration) press service.
Photo credit: Remote Lands. Click to see the map in full size.
Turkistan Region akim (governor) Darkhan Satybaldy congratulated people on the upcoming Nauryz holiday. He underlined the region is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year, and sacred Turkistan is turning into a modern city while maintaining its historical roots.
“Tourism is one of the priority sectors of the region’s economy. There are many attractions for travelers in the Turkistan Region, and more than 1,700 historical and cultural monuments, including the tomb of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, which is listed on the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage List. With comprehensive tourism development, we must increase environmental knowledge and travel culture,” Satybaldy said.
To mark the beginning of the tourist season, the region’s administration prepared mass festivals with competitions and entertainment performances with hunting eagles and dogs, among other activities.
The region’s tourism industry is growing rapidly, with investments reaching 300 billion tenge (US$646,422) since 2018, the year when the region was established.
The region features two national reserves, Karatau and Aksu-Zhabagly, which are UNESCO biosphere reserves, and the Sairam-Ugam national park. The Saryagash area, part of the region, is developing major wellness tourism with mineral springs. At least 100,000 people visit the region’s 68 medical and therapeutic facilities annually.
Over 800,000 people visit the mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi every year, a masterpiece of medieval architecture from the 15th and 16th centuries. The Arystan Bab mausoleum welcomes 350,000 visitors every year.
The number of new facilities, hotels, and cultural and tourism attractions has also increased tremendously.
One of the latest projects is a new hotel complex worth 1.7 billion tenge ($3.7 million). The four-story structure, whose construction has recently begun, will include 66 single rooms and nine double-room suites. The apart-hotel is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
