The majestic mausoleum of Arystanbab, the legendary religious figure of the 12th century, was erected in Otrar, 150 kilometers from the city of Shymkent.
It is believed that Arystanbab was buried in Otrar, but his mausoleum, unfortunately, did not survive. There is no reliable information about what happened to the monument after the complete destruction of Otrar by the troops of Jochi.
The first written information on the rebuilding of the mausoleum date back to the 15th century. Its carved wooden columns of the iwan have survived to this day. Later, the building was destroyed and rebuilt several times. Finally, in 1971, the mausoleum with the mosque was finally restored.
The mausoleum of Arystanbab with an area of 35 × 12 m has a large central arch and a wide front facade with minarets and two large domes. Burnt bricks were used for the external masonry of the walls. The two main parts of the architectural complex, the tomb and the mosque, are united by a spacious corridor.
Many legends are associated with the construction of this monument. One of them says that Tamerlane gave the order to erect a mosque of Khoja Ahmed Yasavi, a student of Arystanbab. However, its construction failed over and over again. One day in a dream a saint appeared to the great commander and said that first it was necessary to build the mausoleum of Saint Arystanbab, and then proceed to the construction of Khoja Yasavi mosque. This message was fulfilled later by Timurlan.
Today this historical monument is a place of pilgrimage for Muslims of Central Asia.
