Turkestan as a center of religious and cultural tourism: an analysis of the current state and development prospects
https://doi.org/10.54596/2958-0048-2025-3-126-136
Abstract
The article analyzes the current state and prospects for the development of religious and cultural tourism in Turkestan. The heritage of the ancient city of Turkestan attracts pilgrims and tourists from all over the world. Examining current trends in the tourism industry, there is a growing interest in domestic tourism, with a particular focus on pilgrimage and religious tourism. The establishment of the Turkestan Region and its capital city, Turkestan, has had a significant impact on infrastructure development, but there are barriers that hinder the full potential of the region. Considering the strategic directions in which Turkestan can strengthen its position in the international arena, the author suggests focusing on the development of new tourist routes, the integration of modern technologies in the management of tourist flows, and the preservation of historical heritage, particularly the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi. With a comprehensive approach and government investments, Turkestan has the potential to become one of the leading tourism centers in Central Asia.
About the Authors
A. K. TurgunovaKazakhstan
Master's degree, Senior Lecturer at the Department of History of Kazakhstan and Law,
Petropavlovsk
G. R. Aubakirova
Kazakhstan
Master's degree, Senior Lecturer at the Department of History of Kazakhstan and Law,
Petropavlovsk
References
1. On the approval of the Concept of the General Plan for the Development of the City of Turkestan as a Spiritual and Cultural Center of the Turkic World: Decree of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan №. 762 dated September 29, 2018. URL: https://adilet.zan.kz/rus/docs/U1800000762. (accessed on 07.08.25)
2. On Approval of the Concept for the Development of the Tourism Industry in the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2023-2029: Government Decree №. 262 dated March 28, 2023. URL: https://adilet.zan.kz/rus/docs/P2300000262 (accessed on 07.08.25)
3. Suleimenov, A. The Revival of the Capital of the Turkic World (01.09.2021). URL:https://ehistory.kz/ru/news/show/32943. (дата обращения: 07.08.25)
4. Nurtazina N.D. Religious Tourism in Kazakhstan: History and Current Issues // Modern Problems of Service and Tourism. - 2009. - №4. - P. 25-37.
5. Karimova M. How Religious Tourism is Developing in Kazakhstan (22.07.2023). URL: https://kz.kursiv.media/2023-07-22/kchl-religious-tourism/(date of access: 07.08.25)
6. Bartold V.V. History of the Cultural Life of Turkestan. - L.: USSR Academy of Sciences, 1927. - 256 p.
7. Akimat of the city of Turkestan: official website. - Turkestan. URL: https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/turkestan-kalasy?lang=ru (accessed on 09.08.25)
8. Turkestan Album by order of the Turkestan Governor-General K.P. von Kaufman. Part 1. Archaeological. Compiled by A.A. Kin, and N.B. Bogaevsky. 1871-1872. - SPb., 1872. - 84 p.
9. Tourism statistics: National website of the Bureau of National Statistics of the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms of the Republic of Kazakhstan. URL: https://stat.gov.kz/ru/industries/businessstatistics/stat-tourism/dynamic-tables/. (accessed on 08.08.25)
10. A Walk in Turkestan: A Journey from the Ancient Past to the Future (15.02.2023). (updated: 26.05.2023) URL: https://ru.sputnik.kz/20230215/progulka-po-turkestanu-puteshestvie-iz-proshlogo-vbuduschee-32111430.html (accessed: 09.08.25).
11. Aleksandrova A.Yu. Pilgrimage and Religious Tourism in Central Asia as a Form of Intercivilizational Contacts // Izvestiya of Saratov University. Series: Philosophy. Psychology. Pedagogy, 2011. - №11(2). - P. 89-93.
12. Ilyinskaya N.V. Features of the Development of Religious Tourism in Central Asia // Bulletin of Tourism. - 2020. - №15(4). - P. 112-118.
13. Yakubov M.I. Religious Tourism in Turkestan: History and Modernity // Sustainable Tourism Development. - 2022. - №7(1). - P. 45-51.
14. Tulebekova D., Alimkulova E., Tagmanov U. The Impact of Tourism Development on the Socio-Economic Potential of the City of Turkestan // Bulletin of the International University of Tourism and Hospitality. - 2024. - №4(6) - P. 142-157.
15. Koyanbayeva G., Zaurbekova L. Religious Tradition in the National and Cultural Space of Modern Kazakhstan // Bulletin of KazNU. Series Religious Studies. - 2021. - №3. - P. 12-20.
16. Ospanova S., Kabylova A. The Potential of Semirechye's Sacred Sites in the Development of Religious Tourism // Bulletin of Yasawi University. T.4. -2021. - №122. - P. 305-323.
Review
For citations:
Turgunova A.K., Aubakirova G.R. Turkestan as a center of religious and cultural tourism: an analysis of the current state and development prospects. Vestnik of M. Kozybayev North Kazakhstan University. 2025;(3 (67)):126-136. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.54596/2958-0048-2025-3-126-136









