The Arystan Baba Mausoleum

The Arystan Baba Mausoleum stands as one of the central sanctuaries of the Turkestan region, a revered site drawing pilgrims from across Central Asia. Known as the teacher of the Sufi poet Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, Arystan Baba is traditionally regarded as an essential stop for anyone beginning their journey to Turkestan, starting from Otyrar. Located 60 kilometers from Turkestan, near the village of Shaulder in Otyrar District, the mausoleum holds deep spiritual significance.

Legends depict Arystan Baba as a companion of the Prophet Muhammad, tasked with passing down the Prophet’s amanat (sacred trust) to Khoja Ahmed Yasawi. Widely respected in the regions of Otyrar, Sayram, and Yasy, Arystan Baba was a spiritual guide revered for his piety. Known both as a religious figure and a scholar, he played a significant role in introducing Islam to the Turkic world. Some legends credit him with a life spanning 500 years, while others claim he lived for 900 years. The title «Baba» in his name signifies «gate,» «guide,» or «teacher.»

According to tradition, Yasawi’s life and influence over the Turkic people were foretold centuries before his birth. Various legends describe his spiritual awakening, with one story recounting how the Prophet Muhammad entrusted his companions to safeguard a heavenly date for a future inheritor of his teachings. Arystan Baba volunteered, preserving the date in his mouth. Four centuries later, a seven-year-old boy approached him in the steppes, requesting his amanat. That boy was Khoja Ahmed Yasawi. Arystan Baba’s name is frequently mentioned in Yasawi’s work, Diwani Hikmet (Book of Wisdom), where he honors Arystan Baba as his teacher and spiritual mentor. Yasawi’s verses often begin with phrases like «Arystan Baba said,» or «Listen to the words of Arystan Baba,» embodying the teachings and guidance of his master. The saying «Begin your journey with Arystan Baba, then seek Hazret» reminds pilgrims to visit Arystan Baba’s mausoleum before continuing to Khoja Ahmed Yasawi’s shrine.

The mausoleum has been rebuilt multiple times. Arystan Baba passed away and was buried near Otyrar in the 12th century, with the original mausoleum erected over his grave soon after. Unfortunately, this structure did not survive. In the 14th century, Timur (Tamerlane) commissioned a new structure, but it, too, was destroyed by an earthquake after a couple of centuries. Some carved wooden columns are all that remain from this version. In the 18th century, a two-domed structure with an iwan (open-fronted hall) replaced the earlier mausoleum but only lasted until the 19th century. In 1909, a new mausoleum was built, though groundwater soon caused deterioration. In 1971, the mausoleum was reconstructed. While the current structure is relatively recent, it remains highly valued in Kazakhstan, preserving the original tomb as its spiritual core.

The Arystan Baba Mausoleum’s architectural design is unique among Central Asian religious structures. Its layout and composition have no parallels in the region. The building combines forms and elements from various eras and cultures. Its expansive arch integrates Islamic culture with European and Russian architectural motifs, including Gothic and Renaissance influences. The mausoleum houses both a tomb and a memorial mosque connected by a vaulted corridor. Over Arystan Baba’s grave, the structure spans 35×12 meters, with kiln-fired brick walls set in alabaster mortar. Though the minaret towers, from which the call to prayer once sounded, are now closed due to damage, the mausoleum still preserves tombstones dedicated to Arystan Baba and his disciples—Khermetazyr, Kargababa, and Lashinbaba.

Inside, a pair of intricately carved wooden columns remain from the second construction phase (14th-15th centuries), along with bricks from the mausoleums built in the 12th and 14th centuries. The mausoleum also holds an ancient manuscript Quran, a remarkable example of medieval calligraphy, and a scaled-down replica of a taikazan—a ceremonial bowl similar to the one at Khoja Ahmed Yasawi’s mausoleum. Found at a local bazaar by museum staff, it was once used by a villager for storing seeds.

Near the mausoleum is a well, where pilgrims collect water believed to have curative properties, though no scientific evidence supports these claims.

The mausoleum suffered damage during the anti-religious campaigns following the October Revolution, when its well-preserved 14th-century columns were exposed to the elements. In 1982, the mausoleum was designated as a protected historic monument, leading to partial restoration. Exact replicas of the 14th-century columns were created, and the mausoleum roof was repaired.

Currently, the Arystan Baba Mausoleum is managed by the Otyrar State Archaeological Museum-Reserve. For centuries, local caretakers known as shyrakshy maintained the site, but today, museum staff fulfill this role. Notable Soviet and Kazakh statesman Uzbekali Zhanibekov made substantial contributions to the preservation of the mausoleums of both Khoja Ahmed Yasawi and Arystan Baba. Zhanibekov’s initiatives aimed to protect Turkestan for future generations as a vital cultural and historical site, leading to the 1979 establishment of the Otyrar State Archaeological Museum-Reserve, which includes the Arystan Baba Mausoleum and over 200 monuments in the region.

Within the Arystan Baba complex lie the mausoleums of other historical figures, the most recent burial dating to 1980. Following the government’s protective oversight, further burials in the area were prohibited. Uzbekali Zhanibekov passed away in 1998, and by special presidential decree, he was interred within the Arystan Baba historical reserve.

In 2006, soil from the graves of the great scholar Al-Farabi and Sultan Baybars in Damascus was brought to the complex. During an official visit to Damascus in October 2007, Kazakhstan’s first president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, signed an agreement with the Syrian government to establish a historical-cultural center dedicated to Al-Farabi and to restore Sultan Al-Zahir Baybars’ mausoleum. Construction of the center began in 2008 and was completed in April 2012.

Today, the Arystan Baba Mausoleum draws pilgrims and tourists daily from all over Kazakhstan and beyond.

Arystan Bab passed away and was laid to rest in the Otyrar region in the 12th century, with the first mausoleum erected over his grave soon after. This initial structure, however, did not survive through the centuries. In the 14th century, a new edifice was commissioned by Timur, also known as Tamerlane, on the ruins of the original building. From this second construction, only intricately carved wooden columns remain today.

A legend surrounds Tamerlane’s commitment to completing the mausoleum for Arystan Bab. According to local lore, while building the mausoleum for Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, storms struck twice, causing the walls to collapse. That night, an elder appeared to Tamerlane in a dream, advising him to first complete a mausoleum in honor of Arystan Bab, the spiritual teacher of Yasawi. Following this advice, Tamerlane oversaw the construction of Arystan Bab’s mausoleum, after which the building of Yasawi’s mausoleum proceeded without issue.

By the 1860s, Russian researchers recorded that “a mausoleum for Arystan Bab once stood here but was destroyed in an earthquake.” Local legends, however, suggest that high groundwater levels caused the structure to collapse. Today, nine wells surround the Arystan Bab complex, allowing specialists to regularly monitor and control the groundwater levels in the area.

In 1909, the mausoleum was rebuilt through the combined efforts of local residents, and this structure has endured to the present day. One of its primary architects was Kalmurza Musapiruly, who requested no payment for his work. Instead, he asked that his name be inscribed on the lintel of the mausoleum’s entryway. The Arabic inscription reads, “1327. Master Kalmurza bin Musapir Turkestani,” marking the year 1909 in the Gregorian calendar. Born in 1888 in Turkestan, Kalmurza was an accomplished architect who had completed the Turkestan railway station in 1905, the Arys station in 1906, and the Arystan Bab mausoleum from 1907 to 1909. Upon learning of a marble factory’s opening, he moved to Uzbekistan, where he devoted the rest of his life to his craft. In Tashkent, a mosque bears his name, honoring the legacy of Kalmurza Musapiruly.