Taraz Ancient City Site
Talas · Aulie-Ata · Ancient Taraz
Western Turkic Khaganate to Karakhanid–Qara Khitai·Sogdian / Turkic / Karakhanid·🇰🇿 Jambyl Region, central modern Taraz city, Talas River oasis, Kazakhstan
About
About Taraz Ancient City Site
Core Silk Road city at Talas River on northern branch, flourishing 6th–12th c. as capital of Turkic Kaganate and later Karakhanid. Site underlies modern Taraz with citadel mound (40 m high Tobe) and shahristan now excavated as Taraz Archaeological Park — glazed pottery kilns, Nestorian gravestones and 7th c. Battle of Talas (751 CE) battlefield context where Abbasids captured Chinese papermakers. Tekturmas mausoleums nearby mark Karakhanid Islamic transition.
Why it mattersOnly archaeology for 751 CE papermaking transmission watershed; Turkic capital material culture links Suyab and Balasagun.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Battle site exact — Taraz vs Atlas?
Theories
- 01Central Asian papermaking diffusion model
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c.36 BCE–present; peak 568–1220 CE
- Period
- Western Turkic Khaganate to Karakhanid–Qara Khitai
- Culture
- Sogdian / Turkic / Karakhanid
- Builders
- Turkic kagans / Karakhanid iqtas
- Purpose
- Silk Road garrison and papermaking diffusion node
- Abandoned
- 1220 Mongol sack but city persisted
- Rediscovered
- 1864 Russian Aulie-Ata; Bertram excavation 1930s
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
568 CE
Turkic Khaganate makes Taraz western capital
751 CE
Battle of Talas near Taraz — Abbasid vs Tang; papermaking spreads west
On the ground
Structures & features
42.9000° N · 71.3800° E · 610 m · 1 mapped feature
Taraz Citadel Tobe
citadel40 m pakhsa mound central Taraz
42.9005° N · 71.3805° E
Gallery