Saraychik

Saraychik

Fifty kilometers from the modern city of Atyrau, on the right bank of the Ural River, lie the ruins of the once-great and renowned city of Saray-Juk, known today as Saraychik. According to the historical account of Abu al-Ghazi Bahadur Khan (1644-1664), this city was founded by Batu Khan (reigned 1227-1255), brother to Berke (reigned 1257-1266). Saray-Juk, alongside other cities, rose during the early decades of the empire—the Ulus of Jochi, later known as the Golden Horde—as an administrative hub for governing vast territories stretching from the Irtysh to the Danube. Initially, these cities served as seats for nobles, with palaces and administrative buildings housing the nökers, noyons, and other leaders who managed their realms.

Around these central structures, a vibrant community sprang to life, with dwellings for craftsmen, merchants, and residents of various social standings. Saray-Juk, built at a key crossroads between Europe and Asia, safeguarded a critical section of the transcontinental trade route from European lands and the Golden Horde’s capitals of Sarai-Batu and Sarai-Berke on the Volga to the cities of Khwarazm, Iran, India, and China. Numerous travelers and merchants have documented their journeys along this route, detailing the goods traded, their values, and methods of travel. The trade path from Sarai to Saray-Juk and further on to Urgench was well-equipped with wells and caravanserais. In the 13th and 14th centuries, this route formed the principal link connecting East and West.

Given its strategic significance, Saray-Juk was adorned with lavish palaces, caravanserais, baths, mosques, madrasas, and other remarkable buildings constructed by skilled artisans from renowned architectural schools. The city was thoughtfully planned with broad, straight streets and spacious squares, exhibiting a strong Eastern influence. The prosperity from caravan trade, spoils of war, tribute from conquered peoples, and ample cheap labor fueled the city’s rapid expansion. Without fortress walls, Saray-Juk remained under the khan’s control and was thus obliged to align with victorious contenders in dynastic struggles, who, in turn, assured its safety. From its inception, Saray-Juk stood at the epicenter of domestic and international events, from the dynastic battles within the House of Jochi, military rebellions, and political intrigues to the flourishing of trade, culture, and ultimately, the disintegration of empires and the formation of new ethnic identities.

Archaeological excavations from 1996 to 2000 revealed three main phases in the city’s history. The early phase coincided with the city’s initial decades, during which Saray-Juk’s center consisted of buildings mainly constructed from adobe brick. To the south, this central area gradually merged with outlying districts filled with yurts and lighter frame buildings stretching along the river. Archaeologists have determined that the width of this segment was approximately 300 meters, with the length likely several times greater based on the city’s later expansion.

During the second phase, beginning in the 1330s, Saray-Juk restructured around its brick-built center, extending onto an island between the Ural’s river branches, thus controlling all riverine movements near the city. Saray-Juk reached its height in the 14th century, and in the 15th and 16th centuries, its layout again transformed. The central area gradually shifted southeast towards the Sorochinka channel, a tributary of the Ural. In the last two centuries, the Ural River has frequently altered its main course. Each spring flood stripped away portions of the cultural layers of the ancient settlement. Today, the preserved area of Saray-Juk, not counting the adjacent ancient necropolis, spans approximately 600 by 600 meters.

In 1950, A.Kh. Margulan revisited the pressing need for a comprehensive study of the Saray-Juk ruins, which continued to be eroded by the Ural’s relentless waters. That year saw an archaeological expedition led by Margulan, though its findings, sadly, remain unpublished. Despite sporadic attempts in the 1960s to 1980s, efforts to preserve and study Saray-Juk largely faded into obscurity for many years.

Recognizing Saray-Juk’s historical importance, particularly its formative role in early Kazakh statehood, and the significance of ancestral heritage for cultural continuity, authorities established a museum-memorial complex at the site. This complex includes a symbolic pantheon, an archaeology museum, and a mosque.

The West Kazakhstan Archaeological Expedition, led by A.Kh. Margulan’s institute, conducted detailed field studies from 1996 to 2000. Significant areas of the ancient settlement from the earliest phase were excavated, revealing the first inhabitants’ dwellings. The city’s layout seems to have adhered to a unified plan, blending traditions of nomadic urban design. The unearthed houses, made from adobe brick, typically featured two to four rooms measuring approximately 4 by 5 meters. In each room, there was a sufa (a raised platform) along three walls, 1.5 to 2 meters wide, heated by horizontal channels beneath it that connected to a central hearth with a tandyr (oven). These channels vented through a vertical chimney embedded within the wall. The walls and sufas were coated with clay plaster and whitewashed. A fragment of a felt carpet was discovered on one sufa, and the floors were compacted clay.

Some rooms preserved coverings of reed mats, and the walls above the sufas held vaulted niches that once likely displayed lamps, fine pottery, and other household items. Besides living spaces, each house had storage rooms equipped with pits for millet and barley, and areas for storing fruit, nuts, and dried foods, including almonds and dried onions. Storage areas were separated from heated rooms by walls with wooden frames and adobe bricks arranged decoratively to promote natural ventilation.

Excavations also uncovered pottery, including clay jugs, pots, kumgans, and cauldrons crafted by local artisans. They also found pitchers made of a bright, light clay covered in a glossy turquoise glaze—local products of high quality. Stone cauldrons from Khwarezm, vibrant glazed kesa from the Lower Volga cities, and rare celadon porcelain from China adorned the homes of Saray-Juk’s affluent residents. Craftsmen in the city produced items from bone—belt buckles, bow parts, quiver ornaments, knife handles, and archery rings—as well as leather goods like belts, boots, pouches, and saddles.

The economy of Saray-Juk thrived on breeding fine horses and resilient camels essential for long caravan journeys. According to the 15th-century Arab historian Ibn Arabshah, caravans traveled from Khwarezm to Crimea in peace and without fear. The caravans, he wrote, “carried neither provisions nor feed for their horses, and they did not need guides, thanks to the numerous and hospitable inhabitants along the way.”

Situated at a trade crossroads, Saray-Juk was deeply embedded in international commerce. Active trade connected it with China, the Caucasus, Iran, India, Central Asia, Eastern Europe, Crimea, and Rus’. Chinese porcelain graced the tables of wealthy residents, with celadon pieces—a light green color highly prized in Europe—particularly cherished. Iranian and Syrian glassware, embellished with colorful enamels and gold, caught the eye, while stone cauldrons from Khwarezm were said to enhance the flavor of food. Necklace beads, turquoise inlays, and amulets from India and Central Asia adorned the people of Saray-Juk, while oil and wine traveled in amphorae from the Black Sea town of Trebizond. Luxurious tableware crafted by local artisans adorned homes as far as Moscow, where one such piece even joined the collection of the State Historical Museum.

The third phase of Saray-Juk’s life marked the transition between the 15th and 16th centuries. The topography shifted once more, with residential areas along the Ural gradually abandoned, as people resettled in the southern district along the now-dry channel of the Sorochinka.