Historical and Cultural, Architectural and Ethnographic Museum-Reserve Khan Ordasy

The “Khan Ordasy” Museum-Reserve is a unique historical and cultural museum-reserve located in the village of Khan Ordasy, Bokeyorda District, West Kazakhstan Region. Its history dates back to 1962, when the Orda Historical and Revolutionary Museum was established on the initiative of veteran teacher and local historian Akhmetfayyz Yusupovich Tazhetdinov.

The total area of the museum-reserve is 10.3428 hectares. Today, it includes 13 historical buildings that are historical and architectural monuments dating back to the 19th century, as well as a Pantheon comprising three mausoleums.

Eight historical buildings located within the museum-reserve house the following museums and exhibitions: the “History of the Bukey orda ” Museum; the “Armoury” exhibition, located in the preserved eastern part of the Khan’s Palace (1828); the “Khan’s Palace” Museum, located in the central and western parts of the reconstructed Khan’s Palace; the literary and memorial museum dedicated to the poet Sh. Bokeeyev; the “Khan’s Mosque”; the “First Kazakh Printing House” Museum; the “Public Education” Museum; and the memorial museum dedicated to statesman and public figures S. Mendeshev and A. Orazbayeva.

The “Khan Qorymy” Pantheon, which is part of the museum-reserve, is located 3 kilometres from the village of Khan Ordasy. It contains the mausoleums of Khan Zhangir, kuyshi Dauletkerey Shygaiuly, and scholar Mukhamed-Salyk Babazhanov.

In 2023, a new Visitor Centre was constructed and opened on the territory of the museum-reserve. Today, the museum-reserve has 60 exhibition halls, while its collections comprise more than 20,000 exhibits.

Through the valuable artefacts preserved in the museum collections, visitors can learn about the formation and development of the Bukey orda, as well as the daily life, culture, and social life of its people during that period. Visitors can also learn about the lives and activities of prominent figures who played an important role in the history of the country, as well as their contributions to national culture and science.

Guests of Khan Ordasy can not only explore the museum exhibitions but also walk through the village streets, where historical houses and monuments have been preserved, allowing them to discover the historical character of the Bukey orda For those wishing to enjoy nature, there are opportunities to walk and relax in the pine forest. Special guided tours are also organized to sacred and historical sites located outside the museum-reserve.

The museum-reserve not only preserves and presents historical artefacts to the public but also conducts research and cultural and educational activities. Museum staff regularly publish academic and educational articles on the history of the Bukey orda in newspapers and journals of national, regional, and local significance. In addition, the museum-reserve organizes various cultural and educational events, academic conferences, exhibitions, lectures, and public talks.

In 2017, the Bokey orda Historical and Museum Complex was included among the 100 sites designated as the “National Sacred Sites of Kazakhstan” within the framework of the “Sacred Geography of Kazakhstan” project. The mausoleum of kuyshi Dauletkerey Shygaiuly, located in the Pantheon, was also included in the list of sacred micro-sites.

In 2018, the 19th-century historical and cultural monuments comprising the Bokey orda Historical and Museum Complex were included in the State Register of the National Cultural Heritage of Kazakhstan as an ensemble of historical and cultural monuments of national significance.