Transport in Turkistan

 

Turkestan is on the Orenburg-Tashkent railway, and is served by trains passing between Shymkent and Kyzylorda. The train station has at least six daily trains northwest to Kyzylorda (six hours), three to Aralsk (14 hours) and two to Aktobe (25 hours), four or more daily southeast to Almaty (17 hours) and Shymkent (four hours), and trains five days a week to Tashkent (8,5 hours).

There are frequent bus services to Shymkent, and some to Kyzylorda. From the bus station, buses run to Shymkent (three hours) about hourly from 9am to 6pm, while marshrutkas (four hours) to Kyzylorda. Marshrutkas for Shymkent (two hours) go from a yard 200m east of the bus station until late afternoon. Both the railway and bus stations are however inconveniently located outside the town centre.

Buses and minibuses bringing pilgrims from Shymkent by respectful tradition also make a stop at the Mausoleum of Arystan Bab, Yassaui's mentor, before coming to Turkestan.

Marshrutka 2 runs between Sultanbek Kozhanov and the bus and train stations.