National Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve “Azret Sultan”
The Republican State Public Enterprise “National Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve “Azret Sultan” is one of the leading museums of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
The museum was established on 28 March 1977 in Turkistan city as the Republican Museum of the Architectural Monument of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi Mausoleum, based on the mausoleum erected at the end of the 14th century by the order of Amir Timur in honor of the prominent poet, outstanding Islamic preacher, and great thinker known as “Turkistan pir-i” - Khoja Ahmed Yasawi (Azret Sultan).
The museum welcomed its first visitors and officially began its activities on 30 September 1978. On 28 August 1989, by Resolution No. 256 of the Council of Ministers of the Kazakh SSR, the State Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve “Azret Sultan” was established. Subsequently, in accordance with the Resolution of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated 24 July 2015 No. 585, the museum-reserve was reorganized as a republican state institution under the Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan. On 19 December 2023, by Presidential Decree No. 415, the State Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve “Azret Sultan” was awarded the status of “National” for the first time among the country’s museum-reserves.
The main landmark of Turkistan is the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi is a unique masterpiece of medieval architecture, which was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2003. This monument of outstanding universal value occupies a special place as the national pantheon.
Moreover besides the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, the museum-reserve includes such archaeological and historical-architectural monuments as the Great Kyluet (underground mosque, 12th century), the Kyluet of Saint Kumshyk Ata (12th century), the Octagonal Mausoleum (14th-16th centuries), the Mausoleum of Rabia Sultan Begim, daughter of Ulugh Beg and wife of Abulkhair Khan (15th century), the Eastern Bathhouse (16th-17th centuries), the Mausoleum of Yesim Khan (17th century), and other outstanding architectural monuments.
The museum-reserve comprises 45 historical and cultural monuments, including 1 monument of international significance, 24 of national significance, 1 of local significance, and 19 monuments listed in the preliminary register. According to typological characteristics, 32 monuments belong to the medieval period and the 19th-20th centuries as architectural and urban planning sites, 4 are sacred sites, and 9 are archaeological monuments. In 2024, the museum-reserve was visited by 638,841 people.
More than 300 historical figures are buried around the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, including Yesim Khan, Zholbarys Khan, Zhangir Khan, Tauke Khan, Abylai Khan, Kaz Dauysty Kazbek Bi, Zhanibek Batyr, Bogenbai Batyr, and others. Due to research by museum specialists, 239 individuals have been identified to this day.
By order of Amir Timur, items such as the Great Taykazan (cauldron), lamps, gates, the door to the burial chamber, coverlet and other objects were crafted specifically for the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, which are considered among the most valuable exhibits of the museum-reserve. The museum collections contain 26,096 historical artifacts, including 14,047 items in the main collection and 12,049 items in the scientific auxiliary collection. The exhibits are classified into four categories: archaeological artifacts - 5,787 items; ethnographic objects - 2,858 items; written monuments - 3,151 items; numismatic collections - 14,300 items. A total of 1,429 exhibits have been included in the Register of National Cultural Heritage Objects, and 9,308 exhibits are listed in the State Catalogue of Museums of Kazakhstan. To ensure proper preservation of the exhibits, temperature control is constantly monitored and is installed modern specialized equipment.
The National Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve “Azret Sultan” actively cooperates with museums in Turkey, Russia, Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan, as well as with all national and regional museums of Kazakhstan. In order to promote the teachings and heritage of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi and the valuable collections of museum are held international exhibitions every year.
The museum-reserve regularly hosts international conferences and seminars, as “The Teachings and Heritage of Yasawi”, the international seminar “Preservation and Research of World Cultural Heritage Sites”, and the national school competition “Yasawitanu”. Educational clubs such as “Yasawi Studies”, “Young Archaeologist”, “Young Guide”, and “Young Restorer” operate for school-age children.
Currently, within the museum-reserve are functioning the following museums: the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, the Eastern Bathhouse, the Kyluet (underground mosque) and Juma Mosque, the Museum of the History of Turkistan, and the Yasawi Museum. In April 2025, opened the Museum of Rare Artifacts in an exhibition hall covering 300 square meters, featuring 270 valuable exhibits from the museum-reserve collections.