The Alamberdar Mausoleum

Today, the village of Astana-baba stands as a modern settlement, located just two kilometers from the Amu Darya River. At the turn of the 20th century, this area was inhabited by the Ersary Turkmens, who were primarily engaged in agriculture, silk farming, and boat building for fishermen. The local community was renowned for their craftsmanship, excelling as woodcarvers, potters, gunsmiths, and blacksmiths. Numerous workshops and merchant stalls thrived around the bustling bazaar, the mosque, and the village’s most revered site—the Alamberdar Mausoleum.

In the autumn of 1899, Boris Litvinov, a Russian orientalist, became the first European to visit Astana-baba for scientific exploration. He meticulously documented the village’s monuments and the legends associated with them. The next significant chapter in the study of the area was written by the academic Mikhail Masson. Through the discovery of ancient coins, pottery fragments, and rare written sources, Masson determined that the area had been inhabited for nearly two thousand years. He identified the city of Kerki (now Atamyrat) with the medieval town of Zemm, first mentioned in the 7th century in connection with the Arab invasion of Central Asia. Nearby was the town of Maymarg, the precursor to modern-day Astana-baba.

The ruins of an ancient citadel, known locally as Omar-kala, were later examined by another prominent archaeologist, Viktor Pilipko. Among the most fascinating artifacts uncovered by Pilipko’s team was a terracotta figurine of a goddess, complete with ceremonial attributes.

The main attraction of Astana-baba is the Alamberdar Mausoleum. According to the diplomat and court historian Abu Nasr al-Utbi, who lived at the turn of the 10th and 11th centuries, this monument was built in honor of Ismail al-Muntasir, the last ruler of the Samanid dynasty, who was assassinated in 1005. In his writings, al-Utbi mentions Maymarg as the place where al-Muntasir’s body was brought for burial. Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni, an ally of al-Muntasir in their shared struggle against the Karakhanids, is believed to have ordered the construction of the mausoleum to honor the great commander.