Sauran

Setting out from Turkestan toward Kyzylorda, travelers encounter an extraordinary sight: a towering hill rising alongside the road. Upon nearing it, they uncover traces of ancient life—crumbling fortress walls and remnants of an old city. A few centuries ago, this was a thriving hub along one of the principal Silk Road routes, bustling with caravans laden with silk, precious metals, and spices. Now, it lies in ruins, with only camels, seemingly out of habit, quietly traversing the vast desert in single file.

This historic city lies on the border between Turkestan and Kyzylorda regions. Its scale is staggering, raising wonder at how people in those distant times constructed such grand cities in the barren, scorching steppe, reinforcing them with impregnable walls and moats, implementing irrigation systems, and cultivating desert lands. In its heyday, Sauran embodied the highest achievements of sedentary Central Asian civilization, leaving a legacy that still puzzles modern scholars.

Archaeologists regard Sauran as Kazakhstan’s only medieval metropolis to remain so well-preserved. The secret to its resilience lies in the local clay, which has long been renowned for its properties. Legend holds that Emir Timur once commanded his soldiers and servants to pass the clay hand-to-hand over 40 kilometers to build the mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi in Turkestan. Constructed from Sauran’s clay, the mausoleum of the great Sufi master still stands intact today.

This same clay was integral to Sauran’s construction. Bricks for homes, public buildings, a mosque, a khanaka, and caravanserais were all fashioned from this clay. The clay was so durable and popular that modern researchers often refer to the entire area, including the city itself, as a “clay desert.” Even today, Kazakhstani restorers use Sauran clay for reconstructing medieval religious structures throughout the country.

First mentioned in the 10th century as an unassailable fortress, Sauran was surrounded by a deep moat and seven walls. It withstood attacks from the Oghuz and Kipchak tribes, and even Genghis Khan’s forces in the 13th century couldn’t breach its defenses, nor could the army of Abdullah Khan in the 17th century. The secret to Sauran’s survival during the Mongol invasion, however, wasn’t its walls but the diplomacy of its rulers. During this period, historians claim, Sauran enjoyed one of the most peaceful chapters in its history, in stark contrast to the nearby city of Otrar, which suffered extensive damage.

At the time, Sauran was under the rule of the Sheikhans, to whom it paid a substantial tribute. Genghis Khan demanded only a tenth of this sum in exchange for his protection. The city’s rulers, without hesitation, allied with the Mongols, reaping military, political, and economic benefits. Sauran flourished during the 13th century.

Sauran also gained renown for its remarkable technological inventions, especially its water supply network—the kyariz system. According to the chronicler Wasyfi, this system was a gift from the Muslim ascetic Mir Arab. Over 200 Indian slaves labored to construct a seven-kilometer canal, and the network grew over time, evolving into a full-fledged underground city. The water had to be transported from the foothills of the Karatau Mountains through a 120-kilometer system of tunnels, with vertical shafts dug every 5–7 meters. The tunnels were built with such precision that some medieval chroniclers wrote of passages wide enough for a mounted rider to pass through with ease.

Knowledge of the kyariz network was closely guarded, with only select individuals allowed to work as builders or keepers of the tunnels. Rumor has it that constructing a six-kilometer segment cost a gold ingot the size of a sheep’s head. These tunnels extended to Turkestan and Sayram (Isfijab), providing rulers with a secure escape route. However, the main purpose of the tunnels was to supply the city with fresh water, which flowed ceaselessly through the kyariz, sustaining the city deep in the arid desert until the 19th century.

Sauran was a crucial trading post on the steppe segment of the Great Silk Road, a border point between Central Asian khanates and nomadic steppe tribes. The city had numerous caravanserais that provided rest and trade opportunities for merchants. A mint in the city produced copper dinars, underscoring the volume of trade here. Unsurprisingly, many battles were fought over Sauran, as Kazakh and Uzbek tribes vied for control. In the 13th century, the city became the capital of the White Horde, and by the late 16th century, it was absorbed into the Kazakh Khanate.

Sauran was also an essential center of Muslim culture, with accounts describing a grand mosque and a madrasa that once stood there. Between these two structures was a massive archway with gates and a neat cobbled path. The ancient city’s serene atmosphere and invigorating air contributed to the spiritual growth of its inhabitants. “Built in an open, flat steppe, it is exceedingly cheerful, bright, with soft, invigorating air that brings joy and strength to the mind. Beautiful trees grow all around, and the city is surrounded by a high wall and a moat,” wrote the 16th-century thinker Ruzbihan.

Sauran was also home to the famous poet Wasyfi, who wrote about the madrasa with two swaying minarets, describing it as a “wonder of the world.” “Atop its iwan stand two minarets of great height and nobility. Chains are affixed to them, and under each dome are beams that, when moved, cause the chains to sway, giving the illusion that the minaret across is about to collapse,” he wrote. This remarkable optical illusion remains a mystery. Today, only in Isfahan, Iran, do such swaying minarets still exist. Hundreds of tourists visit, yet scholars are forbidden from analyzing them, as understanding the secret would require dismantling their intricate foundations, which are no less than six meters deep.

Sauran thrived until the early 18th century, after which it fell to ruin. Its last resident was a solitary old mullah. Historians debate the cause of Sauran’s abandonment. One theory attributes it to the decline of the overland Silk Road, which lost its significance with the advent of sea routes to India and China, drawing trade away from the steppe. Another theory blames the Dzungar invasions, which made travel perilous. Additionally, water shortages may have driven residents to migrate to nearby Turkestan.

The Mystery of Two Saurans

Though the city as it once was is gone, it left numerous puzzles for archaeologists. The main question is why medieval sources speak of seven walls when visitors today see only one. Decades later, archaeologists discovered the remains of an even older settlement three kilometers from Sauran, encircled by seven walls. From this, historians have divided Sauran’s story into two periods: pre-Mongol, marked by the seven-walled city, and post-Mongol, represented by the ruins at Karatobe.

Sauran’s Revival

Sauran remains Kazakhstan’s best-preserved medieval structure, with its city walls standing almost untouched. Archaeologists have excavated the legendary madrasa with swaying minarets, restored central streets, and uncovered foundations of buildings. Recently, they even unearthed a cache of 25 kilograms of copper coins. Excavations continue today, with researchers seeking the ruler’s palace and the country mosque where sacrifices were held. The vision is to transform Sauran into an expansive open-air museum, breathing new life into the ancient city.

For now, visitors can still explore Sauran, discovering its mysteries firsthand.