Fountains in the central square

Still betrays its trading past

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September 7th 2014
Geo: 42.3026, 69.5727Shymkent was never a major stop on the Silk Road, and I'm only here because it's a good jumping off point for Turkestan and the Yasaui Mausoleum. That's tomorrow - so getting ahead of myself.Three flights to get here. Gatwick to Istanbul on Turkish Airlines - nothing special or problematic except I found myself in an exit row with no window which wasn't what ... read more

Asia » Kazakhstan

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Native Kazakhs, a mix of Turkic and Mongol nomadic tribes who migrated into the region in the 13th century, were rarely united as a single nation. The area was conquered by Russia in the 18th century and Kazakhstan became a Soviet Republic in 1936. D... ... read more