Archeology

Otrar oasis in the Stone Age

People in the territory of South Kazakhstan appeared in the early Paleolithic. This is an important stage in the development of human history. The monuments of this epoch presented settlements, workshops, and individual finds of stone tools. The main parts of them are concentrated in the area of the Karatau ridge. One of the most interesting monuments of Late Mousterian period – multilayered Paleolithic settlement is Aksu – Arys. In the era of the Middle Paleolithic (Mousterian) there is a shift to a more progressive method of processing the stone. Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age) and Neolithic (New Stone Age) spans significant shifts in many areas of production and in human life. The human invented the bow, mastered the technique of cutting, drilling and grinding the stone, and learned microlits – miniature plates for liners of the guns. There appeared new types of the stone tools like axes, hoes, grinding stones. To this epoch belongs the location Zhanashilik 1, 2, 3 and the site Mayatas (10th – 7th cc BC).

Otrar oasis in the Bronze and Iron Age

In the middle of the second millennium BC Kazakh tribes have mastered the production of bronze. Bronze become the main raw material for making tools and weapons. At the beginning of second millennium BC the comprehensive pastoral and agricultural economy is formed in the steppe tribes. The rapid development of cattle breeding and metallurgy of these two main areas of the economy of the Bronze Age, demanded mainly male labour, which led to a strengthening of the role of the men in society and ultimately - to change his father's maternal clan (patriarchy). At the end of the second and at the beginning first millennium BC the climate has changed and it became dry on the territory of Kazakhstan. Reduced the area of natural water, which were limited and in some areas, and sharply reduced the spread of the farming in the floodplains of large and small rivers. In these circumstances, for the majority of the population of the steppe regions of Kazakhstan the only direction economy was transition to nomadic and semi-nomadic forms of livestock farming.

Otrar Oasis during the reign of the Kangju state

In the last centuries BC and the 1st centuries of AD the regions of Middle Syrdaria were part of the Kangju possession. There is a sufficient reason to believe that the nomadic Kangju were the direct descendants of Saka – Massaget tribes from the previous period. At that time revealed materials indicated the real stay of Huns in the Syrdaria valley. Exactly on the periphery of the Otrar oasis, on the left bank from the modern bed of Syrdaria, in the region of the old bed of Syrdaria revealed the settlements Shanshar-Asarshyk and Akkorgan. Noteworthy the plane of the settlement has a clear geometric shape with the traces of clearly readable towers in micro relief. Lifting ceramics from the settlement concerns to the 1st century BC.

Otrar oasis in the middle of the 6th and beginning of the 8th c in the period of Old Turkic khaganate.

In 552 a mighty Turkic khaganate was originated in Central Asia (in the Altai mountain area). Over time, Tarband possession which consisted of the following historical regions - Isfījāb, Otrar, Shavgar, Taraz, Shash were included under the rule of the Turkic khaganate. In the Old Turkic written resources Otrar was known as Kangu Tarban and presented the military and political centre of this historical area. Governors of the Kagan – a supreme ruler of the Turkic state ruled Otrar. Otrar minted its own coin, one side of which was a picture of the local governor and his wife, in some the image of the lion, on the reverse side a sigh in the shape of a fork. Since 640 the rulers of the Tarban possession wore the title Tudun that indicate the origin of the Turkic khagan. According to the written sources the governors of this historical are of Syrdaria were Shabolo Shekhu (Ishbara yabgu), Gan tutun (Ton tudun, 658y), Mokhedu tutun (Bakhadur tudun, 713 – 740 y), Inai tutun Kiuele (Inai tudun Kiuliug, 741 y).

Occupation of the sovereignty of Tarband-Otrar by Muslim troops

The 8th century made changes in the history of Otrar. Islam - one of the major religions was appeared in Otrar. According to al-Balazuri, a commander of arabs Kutaiba reaches Isfījāb (The city Isfījāb located on the place of Sayram) during the campaign to Shash in 712 – 713 y. During the Muslim march through Syrdaria in 737 – 739 y Sutkent and Zerniuk were captured under the rule of Abd ar-Rakhim. In Sutkent area the army crossed to the right bank and getting to the centre of the oasis they captured Otrar. According to the “Nasab-name” Karaaspan (the area in the middle current of Arys), Sayram, Sauran were captured later.

Otrar is a native land of the great scientist Abu Nasr al-Farabi

According to the work of Ibn Khallikan “Deaths of Eminent Men and History of the Sons of the Epoch” (13th c): Abū Naṣr Muḥammad b. Muḥammad al-Ṭarḵānī, Awzalaḡ al Farabi was a Turk, well-known thinker and made contributions to the fields of logic, music and other sciences. He is the greatest philosopher of Muslims and no one has reached his level in his sciences. The head thinker Abu ali Ibn Sina mastered and could not understand until he read al-Farabi's commentary on the work and imitated his style. Al – Farabi means belonging to Farab, the modern Otrar. This city lies beyond as - Shash and near the city of Balasaghun. It is one of the capital cities of the Turkish nation. He (Abu Nasr) was from Turkic origin, was born and grew up in his country . . . when coming to Baghdad al-Farabi knew Turkish and some other languages, but not yet enough Arabic to be able to pursue his philosophical studies in that language.

Otrar Oasis during the reign of the Karakhanids and Samanids

Otrar was captured by the Samanids in the 10th century. Gavel coins in Barab (Farab) of 922-923 y in the name of Samanid Emir Nasr II ibn Ahmad was a demonstration emphasizing the occurrence of this area of the Samanid state. In coin it was given the name of the vassal ruler Ali. In the end of the 10th century Samanid State is fall down, their possessions moved to Karakhanids which conquered the whole Central Asia. Otrar was one of the destinies of Karakhanid state. It was given the lists of the Karakhanid rulers of Otrar in the work of Safi ad-Din Oryn Koilaky "Nasab-nama": “Kılıç Arslan khan came to Otrar and ruled 40 years. His son Ismail khan. His son Ilias khan. His son Akhmad khan. His son Sanzhar khan. His son Khasan khan. His son Muhammad khan, his title was Bilge khan. His son Dadbek khan. His son Abd al-Khalik khan. All of them ruled in Otrar. A sultan of Urgench Muhammed sultan came and killed Bilge khan”. According to the numismatist B.D.Kotchneva, the last ruler of Otrar was Shams ad-Dunia va d-Din (he is Tadj ad-Din) Kutluk Bilga-khagan Khasan ibn Abd al-Khalik. He came to power in 590-600 y from the hijri year and was killed in 607 from hijri year (1210-1211, modern chronology). Otrar was blossomed during the reign of Karakhanids state. Otrar became a large urban center with a developed structure, including shakhristan with a citadel with a total area of 16 hectares and rabad with an area of about 200 hectares.

Otrar in the epoch of Mongol invasion

The siege of the city of Otrar in 1219-1220 by Mongol army was described in the works of contemporaries. Revival of the city begins in the middle of the 13th century. Otrar minted gold, copper, silver dirhams. Periphery is built of mansions, apartment blocks, workshops of different profile, baths. Being a large economic center, Otrar remained the city during the 13th – 14th centuries for the right of ownership that was a constant struggle between Jochids and Chagataids. In the first decades of the 14th century Juchids owned the city. "Anonymous of Iskander" reports about Erzene Khan that "he was a very clever king, righteous, perfect, and God-fearing. Most of the madrassas, khanaka, mosques and other charities that are in Otrar, Sauran, Jand and Barchkend, were built by him". In addition, products of imported origin give us an indication about the international relations of Otrar. It became a major trading center from Europe to China.on the Silk Road.

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The south-western gate of Otrar

Guardhouses, columns of the bridge, remaining of the city wall, southern and northern minarets were obtained during the excavations in the archaeological site of the south-western part of the gate. The gate, which was originally built in the 13th century, was renewed and strengthened by each ruler. The location of the original gate is uncertain and a guardhouse of the 14th century was erected on the site of the moat where previously excavated. One part of the outer minarets stretches the gate and the other part stretches the guardhouses. As well as the rooms of the guardhouse of connect with the fortress of shakhristan. The foundation of the minaret and the gate is laid of the burnt bricks of 4,1 m, height is 27,5х27,5х6 cm and the upper part is laid of the mad bricks. After finishing its public service this area became a burial place between 14th – 15th cc. Later, in the 15th – 16th cc there were erected block of flats and workshops. These gates were connected with the main street. 12 m straight ravine is clearly shown in the topography of the monument. Small branches of the streets are spread from the gate and stretch with the walls. In turn smaller streets In turn, smaller streets and cliffs divide the city's territory into different blocks.

Mosques of Otrar

Juma Mosque of Otrar is related to the type of columnar-domed constructions known in the medieval architecture of Central Asia and the size of the mosque is 72x22м. Minarets are installed on both side of the entrance. There were spiral stairs in the western minaret. More façade elements were obtained during the excavations. In the 16th century, the rebuilding of the Shahrisan lands began. The monumental mosque, which is located in the southern part of the central mound, is also constructed in this period. The columnar-domed construction is built on the ground at the depth of 0.4 m. The total length of the mosque is unknown. The width is 15.5 m. This mosque served as a Friday Mosque with a large front area.

Bathhouse

In the 9th-15th centuries the public places, such as bathhouses began to appear in urban constructions. Three public baths were identified on the territory of the rabat of Otrar during the excavation. One of them found close to the fortress walls of shakhristan, to the north-western part of the city, the second bathhouse is obtained under the present bathhouse of the 13th-15th cc. A bathhouse from the 13th-15th cc included a dressing room, a restroom, a mosque, a massage room, treatment rooms, a vapour room and a large hall in the centre. Glazed bricks and tiles for the floor were used in some rooms. The bathhouse was supported by the water through the pipes from the water reservoir. The rows of the pipes were done through underground gallery. The Otrar bath was heated by a firebox, from which the heat pipe departed, then the system of columns and guiding walls divided the heat into streams that warmed the floors of all rooms. Smoke rises through the vertical chimneys, laid in the thickness of the walls. They served simultaneously as temperature regulators.

Otrar ceramics of the 13th-16th cc.

The excavation in Otrar made it possible to find out that the ceramic handicrafts of the 13th-15th centuries were widely developed in both the city center and the rabat. Engobe and colour glazed ceramic combinations were characterized in this period. Engobes are red, yellow and pink. Colour is transparent and painted in yellow, green, pink, light blue and dark blue. Ornaments are vegetative, geometric and ephigraphic. Glazed ceramics of the 15th-16th cc of Otrar has a similarity to the ceramics of Tashkent, Samarkand, Urgench, Bukhara. However, local ceramics have signs in the form of tamgas. Constructional layers of the ceramic handicraft blocks which occupy two hectares were found in the south-eastern part of the city. Two constructional levels were found. Lower layer related to the second half of the 13th and the first half of the 15th centuries. Upper layer related to the second half of the 14th and the first half of the 15th centuries. The kiln for burning ceramics located in the north-east corner of the room is 2 – storeyed. The residential complex of the workshop consists of a 2 roomed house with a courtyard an enfilade layout.

Handicrafts of Otrar: bone processing, glass manufacturing, processing of iron and bronze products, shoemaking.

The most outstanding examples of the ancient Kazakh jewelry art were found in large numbers during the archaeological excavations in well-known the town of Otrar. In the early layers of the town women jewelries were some of round plaques, various bracelets and details of clothing. There were also a lot of beads made of cornelian, glass and paste and as always performed at a high technical level. The blanks made of animal horns frequently found. According to ethnographic materials it is known that many items for domestic use were made out of animal horns. The tube attached to the cradle, an awl were made of the horse, cow, sheep bones. There were also found spindles, knife knobs, buttons and rings.

Trade in Otrar

The location of Otrar on a significant geographical point determined the development of trade in the city. It is known that in ancient times the main trade arteries passed along large rivers. Otrar is located on the right bank of the Syrdaria near the place where Arys river flows-in, its opposite to the convenient pass through the Karatau ridge, i.e. at the crossroads of caravan routes. During the excavations of Kokmardan necropolis of the 3rd – 5th centuries there were some finds of amber beads. Amber was mainly produced in the Baltic or Carpathian - Dnieper region. And also some vessels with tripods look like the Chinese products. The carved gems found in Otrar point to trade relations with Iran (Persia). The other areas of foreign trade are the artifacts found in Otrar. These are coins of the Ikhshids of Sogdia, the Turkic rulers of Fergana, the Chinese dynasty of Tan and Bukhara of the 7th century, the ancient Turkic coins of Shash from the late 7th and early 8th centuries.

Agriculture and irrigation

At the beginning of the middle Ages there was a large farm zone around Otrar and a number of partner communities. Channels have been drawn from the rivers for wheat, millet, rice and barley fields. Archeological and topographical study of the remains of irrigation structures with the use of aerial photographs shows that during the early iron period on the banks of the Syrdarya and Arys, liman irrigation system (in the mid-1st millennium BC - I-VI centuries AD) was widely spread. VII-IX centuries, during the period of origin and development of the early medieval states and cities, are characterized by a gradual transition from the liman forms to the self-flowing flood irrigation. The remains of millet, raw cotton, and wheat were found in the 7th – 8th cc layers of Otrar city. The main sowing areas were Otrartobe, Kuyuktobe, Altyntobe, Kuyukmardan. It was found hundreds of farmstead in this area. At that time, water was brought to the surrounding area through the Tostagan, Durtobe, Kokmardan, Sangyl-Aryk, Kaugan-Aryk, Ak-Aryk, Altyn-aryk, Karakonshek, Temiraryk irrigation systems.

Otrar in the epoch of Kazakh Khanate

At the end of the 15th century it was started the battle for the cities of the middle current of Syrdaria, which occupied by the Timurid dynasty among the nomadic Uzbek, Kazakh, Mongolian rulers. In the middle of the 16th century the struggle between Kazakh and Uzbek khans continued. Kazakhs ruled Sozak and Syganak. Often, Otrar was under their control. At the end of the 17th century by using political situation in Central Asia Kazakh khan Tauekel occupied ualayats along Syrdaria and Tashkent. Otrar was owned by the Kazakh Khanate. Endless war, the city’s transfer from the hands of a ruler to another ruler led Otrar's material possessions to the loss of her spiritual wealth. Glazed ceramics of the 15th-16th cc: the background is blue, in a rare case green, transparently decorated bowl, plate and dagaras. The interior is painted with the same colour and two colours painted outer surface and it is very interesting. The jewelry consists of geometric (crosses, rhombs, cages) vegetal and epigraphic ornaments.

Inscriptions on ceramics

In the 11th-12th cc. Islam occupies dominant position in Southern Kazakhstan. From that time, Islamic institutions penetrate all spheres of public life, which is reflected in urban crafts. There were appeared plenty of items made of bronze, silver and ceramics, decorated with Arabic calligraphy in large numbers. In addition to some inscriptions are usually good wishes to the future owner of the product; there are excerpts from the Koran, poems. There are murals in a large number that imitate the Arabian ligature.