The Ancient City of Kulan

These days, the ruins of Kulan are quiet and peaceful, but once this was a bustling city. As a major destination along the Silk Road, it was founded as early as the 6th century and was still inhabited well into the 13th century.

The stone architecture that is still here, highlighting the urban layout of the city, has given archaeologists plenty of information to date different layers of the settlement of Kulan. The remaining traces of Arabesque and floral ornaments on the walls also show that there were areas dedicated to local rulers and rich inhabitants of the time.

The ruins of the ancient city are located close to the current village of Kulan, but the excavations and research here only started in the 1930s. So far, experts have found a wide variety of interesting and ancient artefacts, including ceramics, jewellery, coins, cauldrons, kettles and other household items. There was also furniture made in bronze, as well as tools to produce and store wheat and wine.

The historical items that have been found here make the site an important testimony of the medieval Kazakh times. When you visit, you can walk through the remains of the medieval city and its ancient citadel, which are still carefully preserved.

The ancient city of Kulan is one of the 33 components of the Great Silk Road in the Chang’an Tianshan Corridor World Heritage Site list.