Khabdulina M.   Бонора Ж.  

Map of the Holy Sites of Astana: New Materials

Reporter: Khabdulina M.

Based on ancient Russian topographic maps, a new one of the Akmola region in the late 19th and early 20th centuries has been established. It records old Kazakh toponyms, hydronyms, homonyms and other words which are no longer reported on modern maps. The names of wintering grounds, districts and lakes are mainly written, however many maps additionally specify the names of cult and commemorative sites that existed in the past. The content of the new map indicates the concentration of holy objects in the Saryarka steppe from the period of the Joshi Khan kingdom to the Kazakh Khanate. Moreover, it confirms that the mausoleum of the 15th century located on the shores of the Zhanibek-Shalkar lake and excavated and studied some years ago belonged to Zhanibek Sultan: the founder of the Kazakh Khanate. This complex topographic map plays a huge cultural and historical value and can serve as a mainstay for drawing and compiling a geographic map of the sacred sites of  Kazakhstan.

Keywords. Map of the holy sites; Saryarka; Mausoleum; Topographic map; Kazakh Khanate; Cult and Commemorative Sites; Zhanibek-Shalkar.