The Mausoleum of Gauhar Ana

The Mausoleum of Gauhar Ana was built to honor the daughter of the great poet and thinker Khoja Ahmed Yasawi. This monument holds national significance and is located four kilometers south of Turkestan, about 400–500 meters to the left of the Turkestan-Shauildir road. Since 1989, it has been listed among the monuments of the Azret Sultan Museum-Reserve and is under state protection. In 2011, museum-reserve archaeologists conducted research on the site, gathering materials for further study. Presently, there is no recorded information on the birth or death dates of Gauhar Ana.

O. Dastanov, who served for many years as chief curator and later as the director of the Azret Sultan Museum-Reserve, along with folklore, describes Gauhar Ana as having the gift of healing, offering help to many people. The original mausoleum, constructed of fired brick, closely resembled the Mausoleum of Rabia Sultan Begim in architecture, though it was slightly smaller. Notably, a well near the mausoleum is believed to contain healing waters.

Originally, the mausoleum had no roof and consisted only of four walls. Nearby stood a three-room structure for pilgrims. In 2014–2015, an initiative by the Azret Sultan Museum-Reserve, together with Kazrestavratsia, led to the reconstruction of the mausoleum.

While there is no verified date of Gauhar Ana’s death, some insight can be gained through estimation. If Ahmed Yasawi was born between 1101–1103 and married around age 20, it’s likely that Gauhar Ana was born between 1122–1124. By 1167, she would have been 43 years old, suggesting her death could have occurred around 1187–1197. O. Dastanov, now an elder, recounts a legend that before her passing, Gauhar Ana requested, «Bury me where my younger brother Sheikh Ibrahim shed his blood.» According to legend, Suir killed Ibrahim for taking water from the village canal without permission. It is believed this canal is the bank of Suir.

Dastanov, reflecting on Gauhar Ana, recalled, «Our home was near her grave. When I was about five or six, my mother took me to visit Gauhar Ana’s grave, where we recited the Quran. Her grave, made of fired brick, resembled Rabia Sultan Begim’s tomb but was slightly smaller, and its blue-brick roof was only partially intact. The grave itself was a very old, rectangular structure.» In 2014–2015, a mausoleum was built over Gauhar Ana’s grave. The mausoleum stands at a height of 9 meters, with each side measuring 6 meters, and includes a one-story structure. The total protected area surrounding it is 8 hectares.