Name of the monument: necropolis of Asan-Kozha
Typological affiliation: sacred object
Dating of the monument: XVIII century – early XX century
Location of the monument: Aktobe region, Bayganinsky district, 43 kilometers west-south-west of the village of Oimauyt.
Research History: Among the key studies of the cemetery is M.M. Mendikulov’s article “On the Characteristics of the Architecture of Kazakhstan in the 19th and Early 20th Centuries”, published in the book Architecture of Kazakhstan by A. Margulan, T. Basenov, and M. Mendikulov.
Other important sources include the works of S. Azhigali, particularly “Report on the Architectural and Art Historical Expedition in Western Kazakhstan, 1980” (archived at the Kazproektrestavratsiya Institute) and “Report on the Architectural and Art Historical Expedition in Aktobe Region.” These studies provide valuable documentation and analysis of the necropolis.
Brief Description: Located on the left bank of the Zhem River, this cemetery is one of the largest Kazakh necropolises dating to the modern period. Although the site covers a relatively small area, it contains a remarkable variety of above-ground funerary structures, with a total of 264 recorded monuments.
These include mausoleums built of chalk limestone, saganatam tomb structures constructed from carved stone blocks, enclosures made of stone and mud brick, chest-shaped tombstones (sandyktas), upright gravestones (qulpytas), qoytas (ram-shaped memorial stones), both historic and more recent graves, as well as a mosque building. In many cases, the gravestones are integrated into larger funerary monuments.
The complex is divided into two groups.
Group I is located on a high hill, approximately 2 km west of Tuz Wintering Site (Tuz Qystau). It mainly consists of enclosures built of brown sandstone. The site also contains eroded earthen mounds, additional enclosures, and shegen-type memorial structures. A distinctive feature of the cemetery is the use of brown sandstone as the primary material for gravestones.
Among the monuments, the mausoleums (saganatams) No. 13 and No. 164, dating to the 20th century, stand out as remarkable examples of the harmonious combination of architecture and decorative art. The majority of the monuments are gravestones and stone markers. They include both archaic and more recent types, distinguished by their clearly defined proportions and finely executed stone carving.
On the western faces of the gravestones are inscriptions carved in the Kazakh language using the Arabic script.
*Group II* is situated approximately 800 meters southwest of Group I. It consists of ancient and modern burial grounds, as well as a mosque building. The older section of the cemetery is mainly composed of stone-built enclosures, ruined enclosures constructed of adobe bricks, and shegen-type enclosures. About 150 meters southeast of the cemetery stands the Asan Ishan Mosque, a rectangular adobe structure built with mud-brick and clay mortar.
*Legends and Oral Traditions*
According to local oral tradition, Asan was an enlightened humanist, a spiritual teacher, a military leader, and an eloquent statesman who united his people. He became known as Asan Khoja because members of the Khoja community came to the Kazakh steppe to spread Islam, establish madrasas, and educate children. Local legends maintain that Asan, believed to have belonged to the Khoja lineage, earned great respect among the people for promoting Islam. He is regarded as a saint, and visitors continue the tradition of spending the night at his burial site as an act of veneration. Asan Khoja is also believed to have lived during the same period as the renowned Kazakh historical figure Asau Barak Ata.
Reference:
1. Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia – Asanqoja Burial Complex:
https://kk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%90%D1%81%D0%B0%D0%BD%D2%9B%D0%BE%D0%B6%D0%B0_%D2%9B%D0%BE%D1%80%D1%8B%D0%BC%D1%8B