Turkistan Region
Sacred Silk Road city (Yasawi mausoleum, 1389) designated Tourist Capital of Turkic World (2024). Tourism up 37.6% with new airport, Silk Road train (Nov 2024), and infrastructure investment. By 2026, targets 2.5x international tourism, testing whether spiritual heritage drives economic development.
Turkistan emerged as a sacred city long before nations existed. The mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, built in 1389 by Timur, made the city Central Asia's spiritual capital—a pilgrimage destination ranking second only to Mecca for Turkic Muslims. The Silk Road's southern branch passed through, layering commerce onto devotion. For centuries, Turkistan's economy was built on faith and trade.
Soviet rule suppressed religious tourism and reorganized the region around cotton and agriculture. Independence restored the pilgrimage economy, and Kazakhstan's government invested heavily in symbolic infrastructure: a new airport (2020), restored monuments, the Karavan-Saray tourist complex. The Organization of Turkic States designated Turkistan as Tourist Capital of the Turkic World for 2024, formalizing its cultural centrality.
By 2024, tourism momentum accelerated dramatically. The region welcomed 326,000 pilgrims and tourists in H1 2024—up 37.6% year-over-year. The Jibek Joly (Silk Road) tourist train launched in November 2024, connecting Almaty to Tashkent via Turkistan. Over 17,400 foreign visitors registered in nine months, predominantly from Uzbekistan. The roadmap targets 25% domestic tourism growth and 2.5x international tourism by 2025.
Through 2026, Turkistan will test whether spiritual heritage translates into sustainable economic development. The infrastructure investment creates capacity, but success depends on service quality, regional connectivity, and whether visitors stay and spend or merely pass through. The spiritual capital must become an economic engine—converting devotion into development.