Specialist Journeys

Day 01: Arrive Almaty – Flt
meeting on arrival assistance and transfer to Holiday Inn (immediate rooms)
afternoon visit Central State Museum of Kazakhstan (closed on Tuesday – working 0930-1800 hrs)

Central State Museum of Kazakhstan
The museum was built in 1985 with several galleries dedicated various forms of Kazakh history. The artifact collection was initially brought from Orenburg where in 1930 after the discovery of archaeological material from Semirechye (seven rivers) region. This material was brought to Almaty and was housed in the famous Zhenkov Cathedral. Present day its building has been undergoing several changes after the formation of Kazakh Republic whereas a lot of material belonging to Soviet era was removed with a small still remains.
The main attraction of the museum is the Golden Room – housing rich treasure of Scythian art in gold collected from several tumuli in the region. Of famous collection is the ‘Golden Warrior Prince or Princess’ found in Issikurgan tumuli outside Almaty. Besides Scythian collection there is also artifacts like daggers, chains and other implements used by the royals of the local khannates. We shall also visit the section dating back to Neolithic and Paleolithic periods.
Then the great interest is the section with tombstones – Turkic later Muslim and Nestorian.
On the ethnic section which is dedicated to various ‘ulus’ or ‘juz’ of Kazakh tribal divisions with each having its own component of culture under Kazakh nationhood.

We shall then drive around the city through the Square and some interesting colonial era buildings. Later end our tour with Welcome Dinner at local restaurant
overnight

Day 03: Almaty – (170+170 kms)
early morning excursion to Kapchagay Lake region – we shall visit Buddhist rock drawings on the northern edge of lake Kapchagay – there three main rocks with Buddha images carved into the stone with inscriptions in Tibetan and Manchu-Zhugarian script. We can still well preserved images of Avilokoteshvara Buddha and Tantric forms relating to Tibetan influence.
These rocks date from 14th/15th AD or even earlier when Tibetan incursions were seen in this region.
Unfortunately, one of the rock has been badly mutilated by iconoclastic visitors or even some years back paint was thrown on the rocks
later return to Almaty
late afternoon visit of Panfilov park, the World War memorial and the Holy Ascension Zhenkov Cathedral
In the evening we shall proceed to Chimbulak – take the chair lift or drive up for a grand view of Tienshan ranges.
Dinner at local restaurant in Chimbulak – later return to Almaty
Overnight

Day 04: Almaty – (120+120 kms)
Excursion to Tamgaly – we shall drive west of Almaty on the main highway and take off the side to a district road to Tamgaly to visit the best of UNESCO Heritage site. These rock drawings could be divided per the following order:

- Middle Bronze Age (14th – 13th BC) – Solar deities, Zoomorphic, disguised people
andwide variety of animals.
- Late Bronze Age – (1200 BC) – we see pastoral life scenes, nomadic life with smaller figures
- Early Iron Age – (1200 BC – 5th BC) – this is mostly Scythian periods and Wusun People. These are mostly mixed drawings depicting different people who inhabited the area.
- Middle Ages – (6th – 12th AD) this is the Turkic period with many migratory tribes settling in the region. They are mostly depicting essence of power with warriors, arrow shooters, standing on horses, shooting from horses, banner signs and flags(standards)
- Modern Age – (13th-14th AD) – a settled culture of Dzhungarians and present day Kazakhs. The rock drawings ceased in 19th/20th AD

We shall spend some time exploring these interesting periods on various rock slopes, ridges and gullies. This will be a long day as we shall spend some time on widely spread out rock drawings with short climbs involved
Return in the late afternoon
Dinner at hotel restaurant
Overnight

Day 05: Almaty/Taraz – Train025T – 2244 hrs
morning excursion to Boralday necropolis – visit Scythian burial sites spread out in various burrows this will be extensive site visit with local professor from Institute of Archaeology.
On return visit Big Almaty Lake – we shall have our picnic or hot lunch by the lake
Later return to Almaty visit the Medeo – ski rink and short walks
Dinner at local restaurant
Later transfer to railway station for overnight train to Taraz
Overnight

Day 06: Arrive Taraz – 0636 hrs
On arrival transfer to Hotel Dzhambul – later we shall visit the Old part of Taraz bazaar to see the now protected site of citadel and city parts unearthed as bath houses, pottery makers corner and other related sites. Later we shall drive to the city vintage point to be able to assess the Chinese and Mongol battle sites with Talas river flowing past
Lunch at local restaurant
Afternoon visit Taraz Museum – see the Turkic tombstones and Khotanese inscription stones and the large ethnic gallery
Dinner at local restaurant
Overnight

Day 07: Taraz/Akyrtas/Shymkent – 45+45+175 = 265 kms
morning drive to Ak-Chulak village east of Taraz and take off the road to the ruins of Akyrtas, the town which existed when the first Arabs entered the main steppes of Central Asia. Akyrtas settlement dates back to Silk Road towns which may have existed even before 2nd AD. We shall visit the ruins complex showing lately mosque – probably a Nestorian Church, Fortress walls and wide streets dating from Karluk Dynasty
later return to Taraz and after lunch at local restaurant depart for Shymkent stopping at the Kara Khanid period tombs of Aisha Bibi and Bibi Khatun
Continue to Shymkent and on arrival transfer to Hotel Shymkent
Dinner and overnight at hotel

Day 08: Shymkent/Borizhary/Otrar/Turkestan – 260 kms
morning we shall visit Shymkent Regional Studies Museum – later depart for Turkestan
our first stop will off the road to visit of Borizhary to see largest necropolis near the banks of Arys river – this is large area with many kurgans (burial mountds)
Later continue to Turkestan make off the main road to the site of Otrar ruins
visit the local museum and later the main site of Otrar Shahristan picnic Lunch or hot lunch at local restaurant
afterwards continue to Turkistan with a short visit to 13th century Aristanbob, the shrine of the spiritual mentor of Khoja Ahmed Yassawi was the first building built by Tamerlane.
Later continue to Turkestan and on arrival transfer to Hotel Turkestan we shall make a short walk to Ahmed Yassi complex – time permitting we shall first visit the site museum nearby and later walk to the main complex for short photo session
later return to hotel
Dinner and overnight at hotel or local restaurant

Day 09: Turkestan
We shall spend full morning tour of Ahmed Yassawi complex – the main mausoleum with its colossal portal is quite impressive, later visit the related parts of khanqa, mosque, khillat Khana and the Bathhouses – this will be full morning visit
After lunch we shall depart for Sidak site about 18 kms from Turkestan city to reach settlement ruins dating 1st BC to 12th AD – see the temple complex which remained the cult center till its destruction during the Mongol invasion
return to Turkestan
Dinner and overnight at hotel or local restaurant

Day 10: Turkestan/Sauran/Kyzylorda – 279 kms
morning depart for Kyzylorda or first stop enroute will be visit of Sauran site about 40 kms taking off the main road to reach the site of a large fortified city whose walls are still surviving.
Sauran dates back to 1st BC – 13 AD. Besides the settlement area of the fortress see the Karez water system used for water supply. The present outer wall of the fortress dates from 12th AD and must have seen the wrath of the Mongol hordes as it fell in 13th AD
We shall stop for lunch by road side café
Our next visit will be the 10th century pentagon settlement of Sygnak destroyed by Mongols in 13th AD damaging and depopulating the city.
Continue to Kyzylorda and on arrival transfer to Hotel Kyzylorda
Dinner and overnight at hotel

Day 11: Kyzylorda/Dzhetyasar Oasis/Baikonur – 220 kms
Depart further for Baikonur enroute as we drive through Dzhetyasar Oasis the lower bank of Syrdarya had many smaller settlements on the Silk Road to include fortresses, burial mounds or kurgans around 740 in number, village settlements and caravan sarais picnic lunch enroute or road side café
on arrival at Baikonur town transfer to Sputnik Hotel or similar
Dinner and overnight at hotel

Day 12: Baikonur
We shall spend the day visiting the Space Museum, Yuri Gagarin and Korelev’s Houses, see the Gagarin launch pad, later visit the launching site of ‘Energia’, the International pace School
This visit is subject to permission – we may expand the visit if there is time of blast off from the site at the time of operations. The prices for this part will be offered separately
Lunch at site café
We shall apprise further program once the tour is set up for the day
Dinner and overnight at hotel

Day 13: Baikonur/Kyzylorda – 220 kms
Free at leisure
Lunch at hotel restaurant
We shall depart in the late afternoon for the return journey to Kyzylorda and on arrival transfer to Kyzylorda Hotel
Dinner and overnight at hotel

Day 14: Kyzylorda/Astana – KC334 – 0955/1125 hrs
morning flight to Astana and on arrival transfer to Hotel King Astana
Lunch at local restaurant
Afternoon excursion to Alzhir camp – see the site which was used during the oppression era of Stalin for transporting the families of the ‘enemies of the people’ These families were brought here in wagons and were confined to this camp – we shall be visiting the ‘Arch of Sorrow’ the Museum dedicated to the people who lived and died here. An original wagon used during the transportation can be see as well
later return to Astana
Dinner at local restaurant
Overnight

Day 15: Astana/Depart – Flt
Sightseeing tour of Astana – we shall visit the landmarks of Astana – we shall visit the
Presidential Palace, Peace and Concord monument, Baiterek Tower, Nur Mosque, Beshytr
Conference Hall and the local parks
Lunch at local restaurant
Free till departure
Farewell Dinner at local restaurant
Later transfer to airport for flight to your destination
Assistance on departure