Through the lens of time: Turkestan 150 years ago in photographs
The first ever Turkestan photos were taken in the 1860s and published in 1872 in the Turkestan Album. Later in the 1890s, additional shots were taken, including those by the renowned French photographer Paul Nadar, further shaping Turkestan’s exotic image bewildering European audiences.
The first mentions of the town date back to the 10th century A.D., although Turkestan is officially considered to be 1,500 years old. Over its long history, the city has undergone several name changes. In the 12th century, the prominent Turkic poet and thinker Khoja Ahmed Yasawi was buried there. The mosque and mausoleum built at his grave by the Tamerlane’s order, have since become iconic landmarks of Turkestan. Over time, additional mausoleums were constructed nearby, forming an impressive ensemble that dominates the city’s skyline. Of course, the first photographers visiting the region rushed to the site for photo sessions.
Important center of trade and fascinating shrines
In the 19th century, travelers described Turkestan as a vital commercial hub along the routes connecting different and rather opposite regions of Asia, spanning from China in the East to Bukhara in the South (Bezobrazov, V. P. (1865). Essays on the Nizhniy Novgorod fair. Moscow).
Nikolai Severtsov, Russian zoologist and traveler, wrote memoirs during his one-month captivity among the Kokandi people where he described the rapturous feeling of the locals towards Turkestan’s mausoleums:
«With great awe, he has honored Turkestan’s local Saint, Hazrat Sultan recounting Hazrat’s miracles and miraculous construction of the large mosque with deep reverence and great passion.»
Ode to Turkestan
Alexander Heins, an ethnographer and Imperial Russian Army lieutenant general, shared similar observations about Turkestan. In his 1866 diary, Heins literally penned an ode to the town, praising not only its impressive architecture but also its cozy streets.
«A tall arch and a dome of the famous Turkestan’s mosque, or so-called Hazrat, rose before us. What a delightful sight it is for an eye accustomed to a never changing steppe landscape! It feels like approaching Paris — or at least, that’s the same joy I felt as drawing closer to Turkestan…
“The overall appearance of Turkestan also creates a pleasant impression. The town is surrounded by numerous gardens… Only a long battlement is visible from any part of the town. Beyond the wall one can see tall ramparts of the citadel and marvelous domes of Hazrat…
“We have crossed a rundown bridge over a deep moat to reach the town gate… We have made it to bazaar, scratching walls by our cart’s wheels and leaving new marks alongside other scratches left by countless carts going by this road before us. In fact, the bazaar was a covered road with stalls along tall walls.
“There were iron hooks with butchered lambs hanging on them, samovars standing on the stalls, fruits and different craft workshops. Boys and bargainers shouted and made noise; camels grunted; it was a real babel of numerous noises. Bukharan Jews, distinct by their fine facial features and long side-locks, Sarts [the name for modern Uzbeks during the Russian Empire] wearing large turbans and Kyrgyz people [the name for modern Kazakhs during the Russian Empire, not to be confused with modern Kyrgyz people] were buzzing around the market. Everyone was bargaining, arguing and examining food.»
The town started to change rapidly in the 20th century. Eventually, a new Turkestan was built near the ancient squares, which then emerged into a center of business and administrative life, first for the town and then for the entire region. But this is another story to be told.
The historic part of the city has been transformed into a museum complex, drawing numerous tourists. The Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi has been renovated, and thanks to these photos, we can witness the remarkable transformation it has experienced.
