Turkistan

Lying along the northern branch of the Silk Road in southern Kazakhstan rests the historic city of Turkestan. Though prosperous medieval trade centers once dotted these desert crossroads between East and West, most notable the grand oasis city of Otrar, many met a brutal end at the hands of the Mongols. Their vast ruins whisper of past glories buried beneath sands.

Not all disappeared though as Turkestan endured, growing into a vital nexus of Sufi Islamic spirituality by the 12th century A.D. under the guidance of revered spiritual leader Khoja Ahmed Yasawi. His enduring legacy made Turkestan a focal point not just for trade, but for sharing divine wisdom, where Yasawi's expansive turquoise-tiled shrine complex draws multitudes of pilgrims seeking blessing, renewal and community. Under its arches, domes and landscaped courtyards, the call for prayer interweaves with the murmurs of ancient Sufi poetry. Here still lies an oasis drawing a nation together and linking civilizations across continents - the legacy of one man reverberates across the desert despite the calamity that may have struck.