Editor’s Note: The Astana Times continues its Forgotten Cities of the Silk Road series, exploring Kazakhstan’s tentative UNESCO World Heritage sites. In this edition, the spotlight falls on Kyshkala—a once-thriving medieval center positioned along the Fergana–Syrdarya Corridor. Known in chronicles as Barshynkent and remembered in legends as the city of Alpamys batyr, Kyshkala stood as a vibrant hub of trade, faith, and resilience until its gradual disappearance in the early 17th century.
Other nominated sites within the Fergana-Syrdarya Corridor include Asanas, Otyrar, Sauran, Yassy-Turkistan, Zhankala, Zhankent, Syganak, and the Zhetyasar oasis settlements.
ASTANA — Buried beneath the shifting sands and braided channels of the Syrdarya, the ancient city of Kyshkala, also known as Barshynkent, offers a rare glimpse into the cultural and economic life of Central Asia between the 11th and 17th centuries. Located approximately 25 kilometers southwest of modern-day Kyzylorda, the city once commanded a strategic position along a branch of the river, forming part of a dense urban network that included Syganak and Zhankent.
Buried beneath the shifting sands and braided channels of the Syrdarya, the ancient city of Kyshkala. Photo credit: Kyzylorda akimat (city administration) Click to see the map in full size. The map is designed by The Astana Times.
First studied by the Khorezm archaeological and ethnographic expedition in the 1960s and later excavated more extensively beginning in the 1990s, Kyshkala has since revealed layers of material culture that span several centuries, with its golden age tied to the rise of the Golden Horde in the 13th and 14th centuries. Italian traveler William of Rubruck, who journeyed through the region in 1242, made reference to this urban center, marking it on the maps of early Silk Road geography.
A lost city remembered
Though the historical name of the city is unknown, local traditions and Turkic epics have preserved fragments of its memory. Professor Auelbek Konyratbayev has linked Kyshkala with the legendary site where Alpamys batyr left his beloved Gulbarshyn. Written records from the 15th century onward become scarce, likely due to the rerouting of the Syrdarya and subsequent population relocations. The site, now protected as a national monument, is administered by the Kyzylorda Region’s department for the protection of historical and cultural heritage.
The site, now protected as a national monument, is administered by the Kyzylorda Region’s department for the protection of historical and cultural heritage. Photo credit: The Syrdarya district akimat (administration)
What sets Kyshkala apart from other medieval settlements is the exceptional preservation of architectural features, notably structures built entirely of fired brick. Excavations over the past five years have uncovered mausoleums, residential quarters, ritual complexes, and an octagonal building believed to be a zawiyah, a spiritual or Sufi center. Archaeologists also discovered the kilns used to produce the bricks, adding a layer of insight into the city’s construction practices.
Religious structures were often adorned with glazed ceramic tiles, reflecting the aesthetic sensibilities and spiritual life of the period. Burial sites, simple and elaborate, are scattered across the area, suggesting a population that was both settled and devout.
Trade, coins and ceramics
Kyshkala was not merely a religious or political hub. It was also a thriving trading center under the Golden Horde. Excavations have yielded more than 100 coins, approximately 80% of which were minted locally. Among them are specimens bearing the name of Khan Tokhtamysh, a key figure of the Golden Horde. The presence of such a minting facility testifies to the city’s economic significance and relative autonomy.
Fragments of more than 100 ceramic vessels, both painted and unpainted, offer further evidence of daily life, trade networks and artisanal production. These materials align stylistically with other Golden Horde-era finds, connecting Kyshkala to a broader material culture across the steppe.
Fragments of more than 100 ceramic vessels, both painted and unpainted, offer further evidence of daily life, trade networks and artisanal production. Photo credit: The Syrdarya district akimat (administration)
Faunal remains, ranging from horses, sheep, and goats to fish and game birds, reveal a mixed economy based on pastoralism, hunting, and fishing, all supported by the Syrdarya’s vast floodplain and its seasonal abundance.
Decline and abandonment
The decline of Kyshkala began in the late 16th century, triggered by a combination of hydrological shifts, specifically, changes in the Syrdarya’s course and military conflicts between the Kazakh khans and Transoxanian rulers. By the early 17th century, the city had largely been abandoned, its name and memory preserved only in legends and the crumbling silhouettes of mausoleums.
A once-thriving medieval center positioned along the Fergana–Syrdarya Corridor. Photo credit: The Syrdarya district akimat (administration)
This pattern of prosperity and collapse was not unique to Kyshkala. Many cities across the Fergana–Syr Darya Corridor followed similar trajectories, shaped by the rhythms of river and empire.
Toward recognition and preservation
As Kazakhstan seeks to inscribe its Silk Road cities onto the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List, Kyshkala offers a compelling case. With its unique urban fabric, archaeological integrity, and multilayered historical narrative, the site serves as both a scientific treasure and a cultural landmark.
Kazakhstan is also home to components of the Volga-Caspian Corridor of the Silk Roads, which includes the ancient settlements of Kyzylkala, Saraychik and Zhayik. Additionally, the Silk Roads: Early Period (Prehistory) nomination includes the necropolises of Besshatyr, Boralday and Esik, which showcase Kazakhstan’s ancient roots well before the Silk Road era.
