Eurasian museum of nomadic civilizations

"Tura-Khan" Visit-Center

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The architectural and artistic solutions of the visitor center and hiking trail provide the necessary functionality and blend seamlessly with the surrounding landscape.

A winding walking trail leads from the parking lot to the Tur-Khan mausoleum. It passes through the Visitor-center building in the middle, forming two separate blocks. This allows visitors to walk "through" the building like a symbolic portal. The trail prepares visitors for their visit to the Tur-Khan Mausoleum.

Pathway

The complex

Monument

The Mausoleum of Tura-Khan is a monument of history, architecture, and archaeology from the middle ages, a cultural heritage site of federal significance in Russia, and is protected by the state. The mausoleum is located in the Chishminsky District of the Republic of Bashkortostan, near the village of Nizhnie Termy.

In addition to the Tura-Khan Mausoleum, this complex includes the ruins of the "Small Keshane" and the ancient muslim cemetery surrounding them. Based on the available evidence, the Tura-Khan mausoleum appears to be a collective family tomb of the local ruler.

Hiking trail

The Visit Center

We have created a Center that, on the one hand, organically fits into the surrounding landscape, and on the other hand, is a space dedicated to the cultural heritage of the Mausoleum. Here, visitors can learn about the history of the monument, view a permanent or temporary exhibition, participate in lectures, watch short-term thematic educational videos, and attend various events. There is also a beautiful relaxation area for visitors, including an atmospheric cafe with interior elements that reflect the nomadic culture. Additionally, there is a children's area and a souvenir shop.

Tura-Khan Mausoleum

The Tura-khan Visitor-center is an interactive public space that combines educational functions with elements of museum communication. It is important to note that this is not a classical museum: tour services for tourist groups are provided here by experts — researchers of the Autonomous Non-Governmental Organization "Eurasian Museum of Nomadic Civilizations" and involved specialists directly involved in research within the framework of the project.

The concept of the center provides for the possibility of independent visits to all museum infrastructure facilities without the obligatory accompaniment of guides. Every day throughout the year, guests can attend themed documentary film screenings in the indoor amphitheater, as well as relax in the authentic cuisine cafe.

In addition, unique projects are regularly implemented here: field seminars with the participation of leading historians, architects and cultural figures, as well as large-scale cultural and educational events. This space was created not only for exploring the heritage of nomadic civilizations, but also for a lively dialogue between science, art and modern society.

The Nomad's Way tourist route: an immersion into the history of the Steppe
A winding hiking trail starting from the parking lot leads to the Tura Khan Mausoleum, passing through the building of the visitor center and dividing it into two separate blocks. The route allows visitors to literally walk "through" the building, through a symbolic portal connecting modernity and the past. A walk along the trail becomes a preparation for visiting the Tura Khan Mausoleum, creating a special atmosphere of immersion in the past and unity with nature.The open-air exhibition begins at the facade of the Tura Khan visitor center, where columns decorated with traditional ornaments of the Turkic and Mongolian peoples symbolize the starting point of the route.

The road through the ages
The hiking trail leading to the mausoleum turns into a "living textbook" of the history of the Eurasian steppe. There are 14 themed stands along the way, revealing key epochs: from the birth of nomadic empires to the heyday of the Golden Horde.

The culmination of the route: the legacy of Tura-khan
The journey ends at the Tura-khan mausoleum, surrounded by an ancient necropolis. Here, on the observation deck, there is a panorama connecting the architectural monuments with the vast expanses of the steppe. This place becomes not only the final point, but also a moment of reflection.: how the destinies of nations, trade routes, and great conquests intertwined under the vast skies of Eurasia.

Right wing of the building: mini-exhibition of historical reconstructions
In the right wing of the visitor center there is an interactive mini-exposition, where exact copies of museum artifacts are presented. The central element is a scaled-down model of the Tura-khan mausoleum, which serves as a visual aid to demonstrate the architectural features of medieval tombs. The necropolis adjacent to the mausoleum has been recreated nearby, as well as the appearance of those buried in the tomb of Huseyin-bek has been reconstructed, which allows visitors to literally "look" into the past.

Treasures of the Islamic heritage
A special place is occupied by copies of relics related to the spread of Islam in the 7th century. Replicas of the "Quran of Uthman" and the sword of caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab, symbols of the early Islamic era, are displayed in special showcases. These artifacts emphasize the role of Huseyin beg and Tura-khan as key figures who contributed to the establishment of Islam as the spiritual foundation of the bashkir and tatar peoples of the Ural-Volga region.

Cartography and archeology of the Golden Horde
To immerse yourself in the historical context, a detailed map of Steppe Eurasia of the 13th–15th centuries with the designation of the borders of states and the settlement of ethnic groups is placed on a separate stand. It clearly demonstrates the grandiose scale of the Mongol empire and its administrative structure. The exhibition is complemented by replicas of artifacts of the Golden Horde, discovered during excavations in Bashkortostan. Modern research has confirmed that in the XIV–XV centuries this territory was an economically developed region with a clear management system.

The history of the Bashkir people: from antiquity to modernity
A significant section is devoted to the ethnogenesis of the bashkirs. Here you can see:

• Facsimile of a tenth-century manuscript by Ahmad ibn Fadlan with the first written mention of bashkirs;
• A copy of Mahmud Kashgari's map of the 11th century, where the lands of the bashkir tribes are marked;
• Recreated the shejere (family tree) of the leader of the Min tribe Kanzafar-biya.

These unique materials not only illustrate the centuries-old history of the people, but also serve as a bridge between the epochs, preserving the memory of the cultural code of the region.

700m2

Hall area

What's inside

The hall consists of 2 zones: the exhibition area, which houses museum and information exhibits, and the amphitheater area, where lectures and documentaries are held.

The main exhibit is a copy of the Quran of Uthman, one of the oldest manuscripts of the Holy Scriptures of Muslims, which is included in the UNESCO "World Memory" register of the Asian and Pacific region.

The exhibition of the visit-center

Exhibition Hall

The Quran of Uthman (also known as the Quran of Osman, the Samarkand kufi Quran, the Samarkand codex, the Samarkand Manuscript, the Tashkent Quran) is one of the oldest manuscripts of the Holy Scriptures of muslims. It is believed that this Quran belonged to Uthman ibn Affan (574 or 575-656), who was one of the closest companions and son–in-law of the prophet Muhammad.

In early 1918, the Koran was handed over to the All–Russian muslim council and transported to Ufa, and in 1923, at the request of the Turkestan republic, to Tashkent.
In 1997, the book was included in the UNESCO register of documentary heritage of Asia and the Pacific region "Memory of the world".

On may 26, 2023, a copy of this copy, made by the world-famous calligrapher Habibullo Solih, an employee of the International Islamic academy of Uzbekistan, was officially handed over to the Republic of Bashkortostan as a sign of friendship.

This architectural monument has been mentioned since the 18th century. such as "palace", "courthouse" (courthouse) and "tomb chamber" (tomb).The building measures 6 ×6 meters and has a portal-dome shape with a faceted pyramidal exterior. The cubic chamber organically transforms into an octagonal drum. The dome is double: the inner part has the shape of a hemisphere, the outer one is a cone. The upper part of the cone has not been preserved. The walls and dome are made of local stone. The portal was added several decades after the construction of the main building.

In 1975-1976, the expedition of E. L. Hvorostova (Moscow) laid pits and identified two looted burials. During the restoration work, the top of the destroyed dome and the floor were concreted. In 1985, G. N. Garustovich (Ufa) discovered the burials. These findings showed that the building served as the family tomb of the local ruler.

The Ostromir Gospel is a parchment handwritten monument of the old slavonic script of the russian edition, created in 1056-1057. This is the oldest surviving east slavic, precisely dated handwritten book.

In 1806, it was placed in the Imperial public library (now the Russian national library, St. Petersburg). The presented facsimile copy was published in 1988 to mark the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus. The Gospel is written in large letters of the charter letter, in the solemn style of the XI–XIV centuries. The size of the letters gradually increases towards the end of the book.

The Golden Horde defensive armament consisted of carapaces, helmets, shields, and bracers. By the 14th century, the most popular armor was khatangu degel (also known as kuyak), with iron plates half the size of a palm, riveted from the inside. The carapace is a cuirass with two side slits. A round mirror patch was attached to the chest on the back. Two rectangular blades were sewn to the front from below to the middle of the shin to protect the leg, with a square blade between them to protect the groin. Wrought-iron shoulder pads with riveted armbands protected the arms from the shoulders to the elbows. The head was protected by a one-piece spherical helmet. The front side was equipped with eyebrow cutouts, a brace, an arrow-shaped nanosheet and a chainmail mesh covering the neck, nape and shoulders.

A replica of the sword of the companion of the prophet Muhammad, the second righteous caliph Umar Ibn al-Khattab

The first author to describe bashkir from personal observations was the arab traveler Ahmed Ibn-Fadlan. In 921-923, as secretary of the embassy of the abbasid caliph al-Muqtadir, he traveled to Volga Bulgaria, to the ruler Almush. According to Ibn-Fadlan, bashkirs believed that natural objects and phenomena have their own masters-spirits. The pagan worldview of this people included a developed cult of ancestors, totemism, etc. At the same time, the muslim religion began to penetrate here. "One of them was with us, who had already converted to Islam and served with us," Ibn-Fadlan noted.

This shejer describes the pedigree of the leader of the bashkir Min tribe Kanzafar-biya. During the collapse of the Nogai Horde, he disobeyed the Nogai order to migrate to the Kuban and in 1554-1555 headed the minsk embassy to the tsar's governor in Kazan. As a result, the tribe became part of the Russian state. The text reads: "O tribesmen, if we leave here, we will not be able to live; where will we find land like this?” - When [he] said so, all his tribesmen replied, crying: “Oh Kazanfar-biy, if we die, [then] here, if we live, [also] here...If we live [or] perish, let us trust God."

The territory of the Mongol empire included four uluses: the Jochi Ulus (Golden Horde), the Chagatai ulus, the Hulagund State and the Yuan Empire. The empire began to form in the early 13th century, when the mongols subjugated the yenisei kyrgyz and other peoples of Southern Siberia and Eastern Kazakhstan. Then the tangut kingdom and China were conquered, and the territories of Southern Siberia, Kazakhstan, and Central Asia were captured. Then the Mongols moved to Afghanistan, India, Iran, invaded the Caucasus and the steppes of southern Eastern Europe.

The Jochi Ulus was one of the largest in the empire, occupying vast areas of Siberia, the Urals, the Volga region, the Black Sea region, the Caspian region, Central Asia, and the Caucasus. The documents of the XIII–XV centuries mention ethnic and tribal formations that lived here: alshyns, argyns, baryns, bashkurts, derbets, dulats, katagans, karakitai, kipchaks, konyrats, kangly, keneges, kerei, kereites, kiyat, mazhar, mangyts, naimans, seyids, oirats, uak, uysuni, uygurs, widths.

During the mongol invasion of the 13th century, the bashkir tribes of the Southern Urals, like most of their neighbors, recognized their dependence on the Mongol empire. Some did it voluntarily, forcibly, while others did it under direct military pressure.

Replica of the map of the world from the handwritten work of the turkic lexicographer and philologist Mahmud Kashgari "Divan lugat at-turk" ("Dictionary of turkic languages", XI century), which depicts the territory of the bashkir settlement. For the first time, Kashgari's work examines the linguistic features of the turkic peoples and the geography of their settlement. Creatively developing the rich experience of the classical school of Arab geographers, he depicted the famous large cities of the Karakhanid state in the center of the map. It depicts all the turkic peoples whose languages are mentioned in the book. The original is kept in the Library of handwritten works "Millet" ( Istanbul, Turkey).

Podymalovskoye settlement was discovered in 2010 by Ufa archaeologist G. N.Garustovich. The first archaeological excavations at the monument were carried out in 2017. The research then continued in 2019, 2022 and 2023. Over the course of four field seasons, more than 5,000 archaeological objects were discovered at the monument, most of which were fragments of ceramics. Fragments of red clay vessels made on a potter's wheel predominated, but fragments of imported kashin bowls, bowls and gulabdans, rare for the Southern Urals, were also found.

As a result of the archaeologists' investigation of the monument, about 900 objects of iron and non-ferrous metals were discovered, including the walls of cast-iron boilers, knives, needles, nails, fragments of padlocks, fish hooks, a fragment of chain mail, bits of tassels, armor-piercing arrowheads, a brand, clippings of sheet copper, and so on.

The striking finds on the monument were bone products created by the villagers. Bone cutters used various tools and techniques to make belt linings, arrow quiver linings, arrowheads, dice, and other items. The jewelry found during the excavations is represented by glass and stone beads and jewelry made of white metal. The existence of trade relations between the inhabitants of the settlement is evidenced by silver and copper coins dating from the middle of the 14th century, which were discovered during research of the monument in 2022-2023.

The materials of the settlement are of interest for reconstructing models and mechanisms of intercultural interaction between newcomers and local groups, directions of cultural contacts, peculiarities of farming and economic relations of the population of the Urals with other regions in the era of the Golden Horde.

The traditional ornament is a bright "business card" of the people, it reveals the unique originality of each ethnic tradition. At the same time, the ornament points to the genetic, historical ties of peoples, to common layers in their culture, since motifs and compositions, passed down from generation to generation, can exist for thousands of years. In the art of the peoples of Steppe Eurasia, there are ornamental traditions, different in time and territory of formation, bringing together a particular circle of peoples. The most ancient of them and the most widespread are the ancient Turkic traditions, influenced by the art of the early nomads of the Eurasian steppes (5th century BC – 4th century AD). They are present in felt ornaments, in "lumpy" embroidery, and in applications. The geometric ornaments of the turkic peoples of Eastern Europe and Central Asia also have complexes of motifs that bring their traditions closer together. They were characteristic of the ornament of weaving (carpets, carpets) and counted embroidery. In the art of the mongolian peoples, there are also traditions related to buddhist iconography that bring their ornamentation closer together: a set of symbols that came from China, India, and Tibet. The originality of the ornament of each of the nomadic peoples of the Eurasian steppe is determined by the unique combination of the oldest ornamental traditions and the later ones acquired as a result of interethnic interaction in new territories, i.e. the "genetic" and "areal" components (substrate and superstrate).The traditional ornament reflects both the economic structure, which provides folk art with the raw materials for creativity, and spiritual culture (mythological, animistic, totemic, magical representations, religious symbols).

Tura-khan Mausoleum is a stone tomb from the era of the Jochi Ulus (Golden Horde). According to its architectural elements, the mausoleum has a portal-domed shape with a faceted pyramidal (tent) exterior. To date, it is the only one of all the medieval tombs of the entire Southern Urals that has preserved its almost pristine appearance. Since its construction, only the pointed top of the mausoleum dome has been lost.

The name of the monument is popular. The identities of the people buried in it are not known for certain.

According to Ufa archaeologist G.N. Garustovich, the design features of the mausoleum are a reinterpretation of the architectural and construction traditions of Iran and Central Asia by local architects. At the same time, there is a genetic similarity between the white-stone mausoleums of Bashkortostan (Tura-khan and "Maly keshene") and the group of tombs of the Bulgar settlement (Republic of Tatarstan).

Archaeologist E.V. Zilivinskaya, on the contrary, connects the stone mausoleums of the Ural-Volga region with the architectural school of Asia Minor (Anatolia), which, combining elements of architecture from the Christian countries of Armenia, Byzantium and Syria, became quite distinctive already in the seljuk period and influenced neighboring regions such as Crimea and the countries of Transcaucasia. Tura-khan's mausoleum was built in the 14th century. During its construction, local materials were used – limestone and sandstone. The place for the construction was well chosen by medieval architects. The mausoleum is visible for many kilometers from all the outskirts. Not far from it are the ruins of the "Maly keshene", and a muslim cemetery was located around it.

Quote:
"The whole monument is not distinguished by grace, but it is certainly beautiful with its original, integral architecture. It gives the impression of terrible heaviness and eternal fortress; it should stand for thousands of years, bearing witness to the mighty bashkir people and their work..."

M.A. Krukovsky – geographer, ethnographer, writer

The Maly keshene mausoleum was not completed or destroyed in ancient times. The remaining ruins contain the same types of stone that were used in the construction of the Tura-khan mausoleum. In 1985, the tomb was explored by archaeologist G.N. Garustovich. Scientists have discovered four simultaneous burials in the mausoleum. In the central burial there was a skeleton of a woman with a severed head. The bodies of the deceased were placed in wooden coffins and were oriented with their heads to the west, and their faces turned south in the direction of Mecca.

The library contains rare books and scientific publications devoted to the history and culture of the turkic peoples, the Golden Horde, as well as archaeological research in the Urals. The collection includes monographs, archival materials and publications by leading scientists revealing the rich heritage of nomadic civilizations and their impact on the development of the region.

The ethnogallery introduces the works of art created within the framework of the Ethnofiction symposium. The exhibition features works by artists from the regions of Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and other countries, reflecting traditions and modern interpretations of folk art. A separate section is devoted to the gifts of Radiy Khabirov, including unique objects of decorative and applied art and paintings.

The exhibition demonstrates the unity of the cultural space of Eurasia and promotes dialogue between peoples.

The conference hall is decorated in the style of nomadic culture. Here you can watch an animated film about the life of nomads. Comfortable seat cushions are decorated with traditional turkic ornaments, creating an atmosphere of comfort.

The exhibition presents unique saddles of the peoples of the Great Steppe, donated at the opening of the Tura-khan Visitor-center. Special attention is drawn to the skillful processing of leather, the elegant decoration of ornaments and massive stirrups, reflecting the skill of steppe craftsmen.

Other

Recreation areas

The museum project

The project to create a cultural space around the Tura-khan mausoleum also includes the construction of a Eurasian museum of nomadic civilizations. The museum will have a down-to-earth silhouette, organically integrated into the existing landscape. The smooth shapes of the museum, as can be seen from the project, do not argue with the environment. The museum's volumes are integrated into the existing relief. Interestingly, the roof will be part of the pedestrian zone.

The museum plans to create exhibition halls, a souvenir shop, a cafe, conference rooms and a large hall with 1,000 seats. The central element and the most important architectural solution of the project is an outdoor outdoor exhibition space. Here in the center of the composition is one of the symbols of the nomadic people – a yurt, which symbolizes the heritage of nomadic civilizations, freedom, forcing a person to reflect on his past, present and future.

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