Turkestan

Turkestan National Park is located in the Turkestan Region of southern Kazakhstan, centred on the ancient Silk Road city of Turkestan and encompassing a diverse landscape of desert, semi-arid steppe, river valleys, and the remnants of historic oasis settlements. The park was established to protect the natural and cultural heritage of one of the most historically significant zones of Central Asia. It covers an area linking the Syr Darya river floodplain, desert terrain of the Kyzylkum margin, and the densely layered archaeological landscape around the city of Turkestan, which serves as a major pilgrimage site and cultural capital for Kazakh identity. The region represents a critical junction between the natural ecosystems of the Aral Sea basin and the human cultural heritage of the ancient Silk Road civilisations.