Its bluish dome, blending seamlessly with the sky, can be seen from afar—a timeless figure rising solitary and majestic amidst the steppes. For centuries, this architectural marvel stood alone, but today, the area surrounding the Khan’s tomb has transformed remarkably.
Following a visit by the President of Kazakhstan in 2019, construction of the Jochi Khan Historical and Cultural Center began near the mausoleum. Completed in 2023, the complex allows visitors to uncover the legacy of Jochi Khan, his descendants, and the formation of the Golden Horde on Kazakh soil.
The complex spans over 2,500 hectares, featuring a guesthouse, an ethnographic village, and pavilions that showcase traditional Kazakh craftsmanship. During the summer, visitors can enjoy traditional Kazakh sports and sample local cuisine. In front of the mausoleum stands a monument to Jochi Khan, a bronze statue weighing over four tons and standing five meters tall, including its pedestal.
Interest in Jochi Khan’s life and role in the Golden Horde’s formation has only grown with these additions. The eldest of Genghis Khan’s four sons, born to his first wife, Börte, Jochi proved himself a brilliant military leader, participating in many of the Mongols’ early conquests. Historians believe that Jochi established the Golden Horde, uniting the Kazakh tribes, defining territorial boundaries, and creating his own seal. In the division of conquered lands, Genghis Khan awarded Jochi vast regions stretching from the Irtysh to the Ural Rivers.
Despite his fame and wealth, Jochi’s life was not free of challenges. Rumors circulated that he was not Genghis Khan’s biological son but the child of a Merkit tribal chief who had kidnapped Börte. Genghis Khan, however, dismissed such claims, just as his father Yesugei had disregarded rumors questioning his own lineage. This family history of defying rumor and focusing on destiny played a key role in Genghis Khan’s treatment of Jochi.
Various myths surround Jochi Khan, many describing tensions with Genghis Khan due to Jochi’s desire to establish an independent state on Kazakh lands. Some claim that Genghis Khan, feeling threatened by his ambitious son, ordered his death. Another enduring legend, “Aksak Kulan” (The Lame Kulan), tells of Jochi’s fate on a hunting trip, where he supposedly strayed from his companions and was fatally injured by a wild kulan defending its herd. This tale is depicted at the Jochi Khan complex, where visitors can also listen to the melody “Aksak Kulan,” performed in honor of this legend by the hero Ketbuga.
Archaeological findings provide some evidence for the legend. Excavations have revealed that Jochi was buried missing his right arm below the elbow, a detail consistent with accounts of his death by a kulan bite during the hunt. Yet some still question if Jochi Khan is indeed buried here, as nomadic customs at the time allowed for enemies to desecrate graves to weaken the claim to power of the descendants. To prevent this, the actual burial sites of rulers were often kept secret. Still, after Jochi’s death, Genghis Khan ordered his loyal generals, Subotai and Jebe, to place a large stone by Jochi’s grave, marking it with respect.
Built in the 13th century, the Mausoleum of Jochi Khan is an enduring symbol of medieval craftsmanship, first recorded in the writings of Hafiz-i Tanysh in the 16th century. Its P-shaped structure features a double-shell dome and arched doorway, blending nomadic and Central Asian architectural influences. The sides have distinctive P-shaped walls, while the central arch is domed. Ornamented with intricate designs and surrounded by brickwork reminiscent of architectural landmarks across Central Asia and southern Kazakhstan, the mausoleum bears a striking resemblance to the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi.
The mausoleum’s construction techniques remain a mystery, as its unique bricks have withstood the test of time. Some believe artisans added fermented mare’s milk and lamb fat to the clay mixture, while others suggest that metallurgical practices had already developed in the Sarayarka steppes during that era. The building’s interior, with its intricate chevron-patterned walls, bathed in light streaming from dome apertures, creates an awe-inspiring atmosphere. Inside, two graves were uncovered, one containing remains missing a right arm below the wrist. Despite repeated looting, artifacts such as fragments of ornate clothing, red boots, silk scraps, animal bones, camel skulls, iron weapons, and coins were found.
The mausoleum has largely retained its original architectural ensemble and style, with restorations replacing only a few bricks and minor details. The primary design, height, ornamental patterns, and portal appearance have all been preserved. Both graves remain undisturbed, believed to be the resting places of Jochi Khan and his wife, Bektemish.
This site also serves as a burial ground for Chinggisid nobility and prominent local tribes, with 24 graves from the Golden Horde period. Genetic research on bones from Jochi Khan’s tomb, conducted at Japan’s National Research Center, awaits public release, yet local scholars assert that over 70% of the Golden Horde’s population were ancestors of today’s Kazakhs. The mausoleum site is also believed to be Jochi’s first capital, Orda Bazaar.
Beyond the mausoleum lies a stretch of clay ruins, remnants of several ancient buildings. This site is known as Orda-Bazar, the first capital of the ulus of Jochi, where Orda-Ejen continued to rule between 1224 and 1254. In addition to the “Golden Horde,” there were also the White Horde and the Blue Horde (Ak-Orda and Kok-Orda), and scholars still debate the distinctions and relationships among these factions. According to one view, the Golden Horde encompassed the southern Russian steppes and the Ural region, the White Horde extended over Kazakhstan and Khorezm, and the Blue Horde spread across Siberia. Another interpretation sees the Golden Horde as the entirety of these territories, divided by the Volga into White and Blue Hordes. Regardless, the Horde was thought to have two “wings,” with Orda-Bazar as the center of the eastern wing.
In the 15th century, Orda-Bazar became a hub of coin minting. Remarkably, along with the necropolis, the industrial area of this ancient capital has survived the test of time best, in the form of the brick kiln ruins scattered behind the mausoleum. All around are discarded bricks and remnants of slag. Today, where the ancient city once stood, there remains only a small winter station, a shepherd’s hamlet where livestock are herded in autumn to feed until spring before being released back into the pastures.
Intriguingly, the ancient Dombaul Mausoleum, which some regard as the oldest in Kazakhstan and possibly in the entire former Soviet Union, lies only six kilometers from the Jochi Mausoleum.
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