​ANCIENT CITY OF OTRAR

​​ANCIENT CITY OF OTRAR 
       Otyrar is a blessed place on the Great Silk Road, with its contribution to world civilization, deep history, beautiful nature, located close to the mouth of the Arys river into the Syr-Darya. 
       From ancient times, Otayr has always been in scientific, cultural, economic, diplomatic relations with the well-known countries of the East like India, China, Byzantine, also had developed science and culture in their cities, trade, production, crop cultivation and livestock farming on their fields. 
       The geographical position of the region has contributed to the development of a multisectoral economy. Small rivers, such as the Bogen and Chilik, flow out of Karatau, while large rivers, such as the Arysh, flow into the Syr-Darya. Now there are no ancient names of places and waters in the mouth of local people. It took only a few hundred years, but the name of the ancient city of Otyrar has survived. In this town, Otyrar is characterized by being the center of the region, occupying the territory about one day’s journey in length and width. 
       Otyrar. That was the name of a well-known medieval city in the East. It was famous as the birthplace of the eminent scholar-encyclopaedia Abu Nasr al-Farabi. In its nizbe is a name of another city Farab, which, according to scientists, is synonymous with Otyrar. Otyrar-Farab in 6 th-8th cc. was the capital of a large feudal estate on Middle Syr Darya, in 9 th-12th cc the main city of the district, in 13th-15th cc. It was one of the largest cities in southern Kazakhstan, and in 16th-17th cc. Becomes political and economic center of the Kazakh Khanate. 
      Medieval Arab and Persian historians, geographers wrote about this city as a political, commercial and cultural center in southern Kazakhstan, which played an important role in the history of Central Asia. 
     The city’s role and importance was largely due to its favorable economic position. At the fall of the Arys into Syr-darya, Otyrar was the center of a large agricultural district. Near the foothills of Karatau, Otyrar was one of the nomadic strongholds. 
     «It is difficult, as noted by the famous orientalist and archaeologist A.N. Bernshtam, to find a more advantageous and more dangerous position in Central Asia». Desolated Otyrar by the middle of the 18th c., and in the second half of it was already laid in ruins, turning into a cloudy rain-washed bog that local people and called Otyrartobe. 
     In the late 19th century, the Otyrar ruins and other cities and settlements had long attracted the attention of researchers. Since then, archaeological research in Otyrār has continued. 
     The monuments of Otyrar are widely described in works of B.B.Barthold, E.G.Smirnov, N.S.Likoshin, A.O.Rudnev, D.N.Luchin, I.A.Kastaniye, A.K.Klare, A.Cherkasov, I.T.S.Postlavskiy, A.N.Bernsham, E.Y.Ageevev, A.G.Maksimova, K.A.Akishev, K.M.Baipakov, M.B.Kozha and other scientists. First official topographic 
      The first official topographical plan of Otyrar was taken in 1903. In 1904, archaeological excavations were carried out here by the Turkestan Amateur Archaeology Club, which operated from the end of 19th century in Tashkent under the direction of A. Clare. 
      In 1947, the study of monuments located on the territory of southern Kazakhstan began. At that time, the Institute of History, Archaeology and Ethnography and the Leningrad branch of the Institute of Material Culture jointly created SKAE, the expedition leader was A. N. Bernshtam. 
     The SKAE conducted research on historical monuments such as Pyshakshytobe, Altyntobe, Kuyiryktobe, Mardankuyik, Kokmardan, as well as Buzyk, Oksyz, Artyk-ata, Kaugan Ata and Sumagar on the north bank of the Syr-Darya. 
    In 1969-1971, at the initiative of Kemel Akyshev Institute of history, archaeology and ethnography AS Kazakh SSR named after Sh. Ualikhanov resumed work with the Otyrar expedition. As a result, Otyrar was the most studied medieval city in Kazakhstan and Central Asia. 
LATE MEDIEVAL OTRAR 
     The origin of the settlement on the Otyrar site of dates back to the first century B.C. and it is a much earlier period, since only in the 8th century in written sources appears the name Otyrar-Farab. The center of the state of Kangyu in southern Kazakhstan, formed at the end of the first millennium, was located in the Otyrar oasis, on the middle current of the Syr Darya river. 
      The settlement and town here consisted of several small regions. Among them, one of the largest deposits was located near Otyrar. The rise of the city dates from the early 1st century BC. It is also proved that this period refers to the lower layers of the local towns with modern names Kuyryktobe, Altyntobe, Jalpaktobe and Mardankuyik. 
     These cities became major urban centers in the 3rd-5th cc. In addition, the centers of small regions here were the town of Kokmardan on the left bank of the river Arys, the city of Oksyz on the left bank of the Syr Darya and the city of Buzyk in the lower mouth of the river Bogen. In those times, the inhabitants of the settlement knew how to cast iron and make from it items of household goods, various decorations and ornaments made of bone. In addition, the production of ceramics is developed at a high level. Before the firing, symbols in the form of tamgas are given to most surfaces of the dishes and attached statues in the form of human figures. The tamga symbolizes the signs of the masters, the statues suggested that they guard the food inside the vessel. And the execution of handles of dishes in the form of a ram was characteristic for tribes that inhabited the Syr-Darya region, including Otyrar. The ram-shaped handles attached to the dishes were used as a shield protecting the dishes from the conjuration. In addition, during the excavation of urban areas, the discovery of irrigation waste, grain, the presence of straw between the floor plaster and raw brick, the presence of a large number of grain crushers is also evidence of welldeveloped agriculture. 
     During the excavation of cities and burial grounds, foreign objects like Iranian stone seals, Roman bronze fibula - buttons, mirrors and Chinese coins were found and it proves that trade was conducted with China, Rome, the Kushan Empire and Sasanian Iran. 
     Bronze coins were issued in Otyrar as the basis of international relations. On one side of them, there is a tamga-symbol of Kangar, and on the other side a lion. Türgeš, Chinese and Sassanid tenge were used as the currency of international trade. 
     The general irrigation system of the Otyrar oasis began to form in this period, that is, in the 7 th-8th cc. 
     The lands in the middle of the Syr-darya river were populated in the 8 th-10th cc, first it was conquered by the Arabs, and then in the 11th-12th cc. these lands were part of the Samanid and Karhanid states. That time was considered to be the birth of the religion of Islam and Muslim culture. 
     The famous encyclopaedia scholar of the East, Abu Nasir al-Farabi was born in the Otyrar Oasis, in the city of Vesidge (Oksyz) on the Syr Darya river. Arabic language and writing were widely used. Schools and libraries opened near the mosques. 
OTYRAR IN THE 9TH-12TH CC. 
      The era of urban culture in Central Asia and southern Kazakhstan dates back to the 9 th-12th cc. From that time, new cities were built and the old ones began to flourish. The territory of the city was enlarged by the rabad and the cities were surrounded by fortified structures such as towering castles, moats and dungeons. 
      On the basis of years of excavations, it was established that the houses that constituted the mahallahs in the central area of the city were densely built. 
      The houses had sufas of 0.4 m height and 1-1.20 m width built along the wall. On the floor open hearths with cauldron and a fire in the form of ceramic fireplace. Their sketch is decorated with round and rectangular (more precisely, anthropomorphic), edged and fringe patterns. 
       In addition, the city has been operating water supply systems and every house has a sanitary system. Muslim cemeteries appeared near the cities, mausoleums were built, large ensembles were formed. Mosques began to be built in the cities. We can see a similar scene in the mosque of an early period, attributed to «column» type, discovered during excavations carried out in the city of Kuiyktobe. This building dates back to the 10th century. Scholars believe that it may be the place where Arystanbab, the teacher of Hodja Akhmet Yasawi, preached. During the construction of the city, public buildings such as bathhouses began to appear. This is evidenced by the results of excavations in the territory of rabad of the Otyrar found two bathhouses from the 11th-12th cc. 
      In the 11th – 12th cc, the development of ceramic art reached its heyday. The decoration of dishes under the shisha is common with red, black, green, yellow colors. Expressions were epigraphic, vegetal and geometric. In addition, the dishes found during the excavation are particularly attractive with images of birds and animals, decorated with petals of flowers and sacred words written in Arabic elm. 
      Glass makers made various products - dishes and household items, jewelry and perfume vessels, chemical ware. Blacksmiths made candlesticks and decorative items from non-ferrous metals, jewelers made jewelry from gold and silver. In addition, during this period, a mint operated in Otyrar, trade developed, and various items were imported from abroad. Outside the city, education and science, culture, livestock and agriculture developed. 
MONGOL INVASION OF OTYRAR 
     In the first half of the 13th century, Otyrar was part of the of the Khorezm-Shahs State. In 1218, Genghis Khan sent a merchant caravan to the palace of Khorezm Muhammad, and when the caravan arrived at Otrar, on the orders of the ruler of the city of Enalshik, Kairkhan Muhammad, the Kipchak warlord, caravan was destroyed. This event was the only reason for the conquest of the Mongols in the west. 
     After this, in the autumn of 1219, the Mongols invaded Otrar. After a six-month siege, the city was captured, destroyed and its population destroyed. In this war, which lasted six months, along with the city’s courage, all showed strong defensive fortifications.              The Mongolian cavalry passed through the land of Kazakhstan. Cities were destroyed, and the flowering winter-beds were spoiled. As a result of this invasion, Otyrar’s prosperity also stalled. During the excavations in Otyrar, in the cultural layers dating back to the early 13th century, many traces of destruction and fire were found. 
      Many cities destroyed by the coup failed to recover. But the Mongol invasion failed to destroy the urban culture of Kazakhstan, as its traditions, originating from the culture of the Kangju and Kangar, were firmly rooted. Archaeological research has proved that urban life in southern Kazakhstan developed and flourished during the times of the Mongol Empire, Akorda and Kazakh Khanate. The Mongols did not just invade, they introduced monetary reforms to promote trade. For this reason, silver and copper coins were minted and issued in the name of Shagatai. 
OTYRAR UNDER TIMUR 
      In the turmoil that began after Genghis Khan’s death, Otyrar became a center of political and economic importance in the Syr Darya region. In the middle of the 13th century, the city began to flourish again as a major commercial center on the way from West to East. For this reason, it supplied metal money to southern Kazakhstan and northern Central Asia. Here were minted mainly copper and silver dirhams and gold dinars. 
      In the 14th century Otyrar was rebuilt and in the era of the Golden Horde, grandiose palaces and mosques were built in the region. As in other cities of Turkestan, the Kings of Ak Orda built new buildings in Otyrar. At that time, the city became a major center of trade and business. 
      When Otrar and other cities along the Syr-Darya river were under Temir, in Turkestan was built a mausoleum of Hodja Akhmet Yasavi, renovated the mausoleum of Arystanbab in the Otrar oasis, and it was built a Friday mosque in Otrar. In the winter of 1405, during preparations for the Chinese campaign, in the palace of Berdibeka in Otyrar the great warrior Amir Timur died. In the late 14th and second half of the 15th century, Otyrar remained a major strategic and economic center within the state of Amir Temir. Archaeological studies show that the castle was restored in the late 14th - 15th cc. The former wall of the mound was again thickened by one and a half meters. The water system called «Temiraryk» was built from the river Arys to provide water fields and residents of the city. 
       200 m south of the southern corner of the Otyrar, the discovery of production for the construction of architectural materials - khir (alabaster, ganch), showed that at that time there was a production of building materials. Research results show that these places operated in the second half of the 14th and first half of the 15th centuries. 
       200 m west of the southern gate of the city, near the reservoir there was a bathhouse in the last quarter of the 14th - first half of the 15th century. It was built in the 11th-12th cc. The floor of the bathhouse was covered with ceramic tiles and heat was transferred through this floor. In addition, the building had a swimming pool and massage rooms. 
      East of Otyrar is a place of concentration of pottery production of the 13th-15th cc. The area occupies about 2 hectares of land. Here the craftsmen made dishes, jars, bowls decorated with labels, protrusions and forms of unglazed ceramic covered with red canguro. At the same time, large quantities of polyceramic were produced. The vessels were decorated with geometric, botanical, zoomorphic and epigraphic patterns. 
OTYRAR DURING THE KAZAKH KANATE 
        The town was strengthened and expanded, new buildings were built in the city, and further trade flourished when the Kazakh Khanate emerged in 15th-16th cc. 
        In the time of the Kazakh Khanate, Otyrar did not lose its administrative position in this region during continuous conflicts with the shaibanids for the possession of Turkestan, that is, at the end of the 15th century. This is because Otyrar has maintained its economic and political position among the cities of Turkestan, and also preserved its historical influence and power during the period of development of the Kazakh Khanate. At the end of the 16th century, Otyrar became part of the Kazakh Khanate. 
       The towns along the Syr Darya were considered to be administrative, economic and cultural centers of the Kazakhs. As large craft and trade centers, they were of great importance. Handicrafts, textiles and other household items were brought into the village through the towns. They were also considered to be as places of trade for livestock, animal products and grain. 
        At the same time, weapons were improved and cutlery began to appear. For them, cast lead bullets were prepared. In archaeological excavations, the second building layer was attributed to this period. According to the results of research, Otyrar rose again from the ruins. Houses were built all over the city and there are no empty places left. There were developed such crafts as the firing of pottery, iron processing and weaving of fabrics. They were in the city and at home with shops. 
       According to the study by K.M. Baipakov, K.A. Akishev and L.B. Yerzakovich, 12% of the city’s population were engaged in crafts and 15% in trade. In addition, in the 18th century there were about 761 houses in Otyrar, which housed about 5,212 people. The discovery in this layer of Central Asian and Russian coins indicates the direction of trade relations. However, in the bazaar of Otyrar mainly copper coin from Tashkent and Yassy were sold. This indicates that Otyrar again experienced a period of bloom. But the Zhungar invasions, internal strife and the large-scale crisis of economic life led to the decline of urban life, the cessation of several cities on the Syr Darya, including Otyrar. The life of the ancient city stopped in the middle of the 13th century, and since then the empty town has turned into ruins, which local residents call «Otyrartobe».