Caravan routes passing through Balasagun and reaching Saraychik

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Abstract

This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the current state of socio-politically prominent urban centers in medieval Kazakhstan, including Balasagun (Aktobe), Isfijab, Yassy, Barshinkent, and Saraishyk. The study examines their environmental contexts, results of archaeological excavations, historical-topographical structures, and distinct developmental features, alongside issues of periodization. Employing established archaeological modeling, the research methodologically evaluates medieval Balasagun and Saraishyk, providing a holistic view of the caravan routes, itineraries, and socio-economic services that integrated the settlement systems along these paths.

The analytical framework explores the interconnections between the Chu-Talas region (Taraz, Balasagun), the Syr Darya-Karatau valley (Turkestan, Syganak), and the urban hubs of Saraishyk within the Ustyurt and Western Kazakhstan territories. Scientific substantiation of the Silk Road’s routes across Kazakhstan is presented through landscape and spatial analysis. Geohistorically, the scope of the study extends from Balasagun in the southeast to Saraishyk in the west. These two sites serve as the primary focus for two reasons: their role as critical transit hubs along the Great Silk Road and their strategic location at the intersection of Kazakhstan’s "nine roads."

The findings classify these issues based on a material database that synthesizes the work of prominent domestic researchers, such as A.Kh. Margulan, L.B. Yerzakovich, K.M. Baipakov, S. Zholdasbayev, T.V. Savelyeva, M. Eleuov, A. Nurzhanov, D. Taleev, E. Akynbek, and A. Tazhekeev. Their studies on Silk Road routes, the general evolution of caravan paths, and the urbanization of medieval sites in Zhetysu, Chu-Talas, Syr Darya-Karatau, the Ustyurt hills, and the Ural region are central to the analysis. Furthermore, comparative analytical work incorporates the research of international scholars, including P. Frankopan, K. Kato, and E.V. Rtveladze.

The study concludes with scientific insights into the genesis and evolution of the Chu-Talas, Syr Darya-Karatau, Ustyurt-Mugalzhar, and Zhaiyk-Saraishyk routes, which linked Balasagun and Saraishyk. The article traces the movement of caravans from Balasagun on the Chu River toward Karatau via the Onan and Talas rivers, passing the Aral Sea and Ustyurt, and continuing along the Ural River to Saraishyk. Finally, the paper reports on the contemporary environmental status of these significant historical monuments.