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.
01:22We have our dogs in the natural park.
01:25We also have the lids in the wild.
01:29We have a wild park.
01:34We have our dogs in the wild.
01:37We have our dogs.
01:37We have our dogs in the park.
01:39Then, the dogs are going to be in the wild.
01:42We have the dogs in the forest.
01:42There is a lot of people that come to the park.
01:45We have the dogs in the park.
01:49More than 71,000 visitors have explored the park this year, with accommodation available for even more.
01:56Our next stop is the ancient city of Otrar, once one of the greatest cities along the Silk Road.
02:07These gates lead into the 200-hectare ruins of the medieval city of Otrar.
02:12Today all that's left are the wind, the sand and the remains of its streets.
02:16But with a little imagination, it's not hard to picture how this once thriving city coming back to life.
02:23Inside the citadel, the city's most heavily fortified district, we stepped into what was once a residential neighborhood.
02:30Here, reconstructed homes revealed the advanced technologies that existed centuries ago.
02:47Just beyond the houses stood the public bathhouse with its bathing pools.
02:52Within a short walk were the mosque, central square and the palace of Berzibekhan.
02:56As one of the Silk Road's busiest trading hubs, Otrar welcomed hundreds of merchants and travelers every day.
03:28Excavations are still underway, and archaeologists continue to uncover Otrar's past.
03:33Here, Mokhtar Koja and his team are excavating the remains of the oldest mosque discovered in the city so far,
03:40dating back to the late 13th and early 14th centuries.
04:01With a 2000-year history, Otrar was once a thriving Silk Road city before the Mongol invasion in the 13th
04:09century.
04:09Rebuilt and inhabited for centuries, its story can now be explored through the ruins and artifacts at the Otrar Museum.
04:20Another remarkable site nearby is the mausoleum of Arstambab, the 12th-century spiritual teacher of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi.
04:28Today, it remains an important place of pilgrimage.
04:31The current structure is the fourth known reconstruction of the original mausoleum.
04:36These are two original 14th-century columns.
04:40The mausoleum once had six, but only these have stood the test of time.
04:44This year, the Turkestan region ranked among Kazakhstan's top five domestic tourism destinations for the first time,
04:51as more travelers discover its unique blend of history and nature.
04:58the al Buenas
04:59Grazie a tutti.
