Mausoleums in the Medieval City of Syganak

Abstract

The city of Syganak was recognized as one of the major political centers in the middle reaches of Syrdarya in the 11th and 16th centuries. The city was one of the main centers of the Kypchak Khanate, the White Horde, the Abulkhair Khanate and the Kazakh Khanate. For this reason, the rulers of the above-mentioned khanates, famous personalities were buried near the city. The huge mausoleums were built for demand the city became one of the sacred and spiritual centers. The mausoleum – a monument of architecture, built on a grave or cemetery. The mausoleums were considered as the afterlife home of the deceased. According to the constructions of the mausoleum it is possible to determine the social level of people, buried in the mausoleum or to which class they belong. The identified burial grounds and the found objects allow to determine the status, level of social development, worldview, lifestyle, traditions, religious beliefs, funeral rite and social relations of ancient people. The authors set the goal to study, analyze and introduce into scientific discourse the mausoleums №6 and №7, discovered during archaeological excavations in the medieval city of Syganak in 2022. In addition, the authors consider it is important to determine the history of the creation and development of mausoleums. Basing on the results of archaeological research, conducted in the city of Syganak in 2022, the absolute chronology of the mausoleums was determined using the analysis C14, similarities and differences with the same type of mausoleums in neighboring regions were discussed, scientific observations were carried out.

Keywords

• archaeology
• architecture
• bathhouse
• hammam
• hypocaust
• plaster
• pottery
• glaze
• epigraphy
• complex
• samanids
• ispidzhab