Draft:Otyrar State Archaeological Reserve Museum

Otyrar State Archaeological Reserve Museum

Otyrar State Archaeological Museum-Reserve was opened in 1967 at the Timur station of the Otyrar district of the Turkestan region. Initially it was a school museum, and from 1973 it served as a district museum, in 1979 it was established as the Otyrar State Archaeological Museum Reserve.

The main purpose of the museum is to protect archaeological and architectural monuments of Otyrar district, conducting research, cultural and educational work. The State Archaeological Museum-Reserve «Otyrar» includes the Otyrar settlement, the Arystanbab mausoleum and all ancient city monuments, mounds, irrigation systems, workshops of this region, which serve as an exhibition for the audience.

The museum has several departments and a library. In 1993, the museum approved 110 historical monuments, the area of protected area increased to 11,547 hectares. There are currently more than 160 historical and cultural monuments in the Otyrar district.

In 1979, on May 11, the Council of Ministers of the KazSSR Otyrar State Archaeological Museum-Reserve was established as an institution for scientific research, cultural education and protection of archaeological monuments.

It is the first archaeological museum-reserve created on the territory of Kazakhstan. 1998 Decree of the Government 1335 of December 25 the State Archaeological Museum-Reserve «Otyrar» was reorganized into a republican state institution. It was established as a legal state institution in 1999. Re-registered on April 27. The Museum-Reserve is located in a three-storey building along the Silk Road avenue, the village of Shaulder in the Otyrar district of the Turkestan region.

History
The museum-reserve has five scientific departments:

Department of archaeology and protection of historical monuments;

Fund;

In 1979, on May 11, the Council of Ministers of the KazSSR Otyrar State Archaeological Museum-Reserve was established as an institution for scientific research, cultural education and protection of archaeological monuments.

It is the first archaeological museum-reserve created on the territory of Kazakhstan. 1998 Decree of the Government 1335 of December 25 the State Archaeological Museum-Reserve «Otyrar» was reorganized into a republican state institution. It was established as a legal state institution in 1999. Re-registered on April 27. The Museum-Reserve is located in a three-storey building along the Silk Road avenue, the village of Shaulder in the Otyrar district of the Turkestan region.

The museum-reserve has five scientific departments:

Department of Ethnography;

In addition to the museum building, the public is served by the mausoleum of Arystanbab, the settlement of Otyrar,  the ethnographic complex of Korzhyn Tam.

Department of Restoration and Conservation;

The total area of Korzhyn Tam is 3048.5 m, the area of the exhibition is 1052 m, the area of the fund is 254 m.

Exhibition and excursion department and public relations department;

The main purpose of the museum-reserve is to protect archaeological and architectural monuments of Otyrar district, to engage in scientific research, propaganda and cultural and educational activity.

Research Department of Protection of Historical Monuments.

There is also a scientific library (1,511 books).

The staff of the museum took part in archaeological and restoration works in the Otrar district under the programs «Cultural Heritage» and «Revival of the Ancient Otrra» and wrote a number of scientific reports. In autumn 2004, the museum opened a new department of restoration and conservation. The museum-reserve promotes the ancient history of the Kazakh people.

Now there are 5 republican, more than 150 archaeological and architectural monuments in Otyrar oasis. Ancient and medieval cities and villages of Otyrar district, which are of special significance in the history of this region and located along the Great Silk Road, are Otyratobe, Kuyrktobe, Kokmartan, Altyntobe, Aktobe, Jalapactobe, Oksyztobe, The monument of the 12th century, the mausoleum-mosque of Saint Arystanbab, etc. historical and cultural archaeological sites.

There were also many holy places near Otyrar. Saint Arystanbab, teacher of Sheikh Khoja Ahmet Yasawi, known to the whole Muslim community as «30 Babs in Otrar, Tumen Bab in Turkistan, Sansyz Bab in Sairam, the greatest one is Arystanbab» is buried here. Arystanbab was a great man who contributed not only to the Otyrar region, but also to the Islamization of the entire Turkic world.

The schools held meetings and lectures on various topics to familiarize students with the original documents collected in the museum collection.

The organization and holding of exhibitions in the field of museums can be attributed to the sphere of culture and education. Exhibitions are held on a specific schedule and outside the schedule.

Nowadays, the mausoleum of Arystanbab is considered a sacred place of pilgrimage of Muslims of Kazakhstan and Central Asia. After our country gained independence, the mausoleum was given special attention, full restoration works, entrance gates, hotels serving pilgrims, library, palace of traditions were carried out, etc. buildings were built.

The orientalist and archaeologist N.I.Veselovsky in 1884 conducted the first excavations in Otyrartobe. In 1895-1904, enthusiastic archaeologists who started working in Tashkent in the late 19th century, were engaged in the study of the ruins of Otyrar and other monuments of this region with the help of the Turkestan Circle were excavated. (conducted by A.K. Klar, A.A. Cherkasov). 1947-1948 A.N. Bernstam led the South Kazakhstan archaeological expedition here.

Large-scale research was started in 1969 by the complex archaeological expedition of South Kazakhstan of the Institute of History, Archeology and Ethnography of the Academy of Sciences of the Kazakh SSR, headed by K.Akyshev. The Margulan Institute of Archeology and the State Archaeological Museum-Reserve "Otyrar" continue with excavations. Scientists gradually began to open new pages of history in this way.

Otyrar oasis is of great historical and cultural importance in the study of archaeological monuments located in the western part of Central Asia at the junction of sedentary and nomadic culture, as well as the history of Central Asia and Kazakhstan. Monuments along the Great Silk Road still attract the attention of researchers. As his evidence, 2001-2004. It is possible to mention the ongoing international UNESCO-Kazakhstan-Japan project.

The monuments of the Otyrar are included in the preliminary list of the UNESCO World Heritage Program. In August 2001, an agreement was signed between the Republic of Kazakhstan and UNESCO on the restoration and preservation of the ancient city of Otyrar, in addition to which UNESCO provided financial assistance.

2001-2004 years as part of the UNESCO-Kazakhstan-Japan "Preservation and Restoration of Ancient Otyrar" project, conservation works were carried out on a number of demolished buildings in Otyrar. The staff of Otyrar museum-reserve took part in this project along with experts from Kazakhstan, Great Britain, Japan, Belgium, and Italy. The purpose of the project is to scientifically document the monuments of Otyrar, introduce them to the public, direct the use of monuments, as well as create a unique method of restoration and preservation.

A number of monuments of Otyrar (Juma Mosque of the 16th century, a residential complex of the 16th  century, living quarters of the 11th -12th centuries, walls) were subjected to research, preservation and museum. Aerial photography and more than 8,000 aerial photographs were taken with the support of UNESCO. The museum conducted several studies of previously unknown monuments on both banks of the Syr Darya River, as a result of which more than thirty new historical monuments were identified and registered.

In 2008, in the southwestern part of Otyrartobe 14th century together with specialists of Kazrestoration, restoration and conservation works of the traditional eastern bath were carried out, the entire top of the bath was covered with a roof. At the same time, one of our significant achievements during the excavations in Otrra was the discovery of the southern gate of Otra, about which scientists have long talked. According to the program, various projects are being prepared for the tracing of excavations, and works on the restoration of monuments and their transfer to the museum are being carried out comprehensively. Scientific literature and video films were also produced.

In the end, all these cultural activities are aimed at the revival of Otrar in the conditions of Independent Kazakhstan, the preservation of monuments of Otrar and its transformation into a spiritual benefit of the younger generation.

Archaeological and ethnographic exhibition halls have served the public for almost 45 years. The thematic plan of exposition of the state archaeological museum-reserve «Otyrar» «Ancient and medieval Otrar» has been developed. The exposition of the museum-reserve «Otyrar» has been updated and revised.

The artifacts in it are thematically planned and informative. In the hall are household items from burnt clay of the Neolithic and Bronze era until the 18th century, found during archaeological excavations in Otyrar and several cities and villages around it - a pot, a plate, a jug, a pen, a medium. teacup, candle, inkwell, etc. you can see the ceramic, terracotta and dome, which are used to decorate beautiful buildings. There are bronze keels, pedestals, candles, talismans, silver and copper coins, iron arrowheads, hoes, swords, glass and bone products.

On the third floor of the museum-reserve «Otyrar» separate ethnographic exposition consists of products made of wood, wool, leather and metal, representing everyday life, economy, crafts and culture of the Kazakh people of the 18th – 20th cc. Also on the second floor of the museum is a conference hall equipped with modern technologies, a hall of gold relics. The exposition is supplemented by information kiosks, televisions showing documentaries, national symbols and maps of the Republic of Kazakhstan. LED screen at the entrance of the museum gives a lot of information about the history of the museum.

The staff of the state archaeological museum-reserve «Otyrar» fruitfully carries out scientific-collector, research and cultural-educational, scientific exposition, scientific expedition, scientific fund, scientific reconstruction, scientific-publishing, scientific-scientific-educationalCommunication work in accordance with its structure.

Artifacts in the museum-reserve «Otyrar» were collected during archaeological excavations, during research expeditions organized by employees of the State Archaeological Museum-Reserve «Otyrar»as well as through donations to the museum of craftsmen and ordinary citizens able to take care of them. national treasure, which truly valued crafts, and the benefactors of artifacts.

For their part, the museums organized archaeological, ethnographic, folklore expeditions on the theme “Historical monuments of the Kyzylkum desert”, “In the footsteps of Abu Nasir al-Farabi”, “Following the footsteps of the Syr and the Karatau valley”, “Koksaray archaeological expedition”, “Crafts - national heritage, heritage of centuries”, «High mountain in independent country», art with a wide field of activity», «Trust to the next generation of masters», «Chronology of the region Syr», etc.

Scientific staff of the museum took part in scientific and practical conferences, forums, seminars held in the cities of Astana, Almaty, Semei, Karagandy, Pavlodar, Ust-Kamenogorsk, Turkestan, Shymkent and read reports. International, national and regional conferences, seminars, round tables and competitions are also held.

Employees of the museum wrote hundreds of scientific articles about museum collections, published books, booklets and booklets in Kazakh, Russian and English. Many television and radio broadcasts were aimed at promoting our material and spiritual heritage.

With the support of the Ministry of Culture and Information for the first time in the country in the area of the ruins of Otyrar built «Tourist Center». The purpose of the construction was to popularize the cultural heritage of Otyrar oasis in our country and abroad, to protect and preserve historical and cultural heritage objects, to create a tourist center that meets the modern requirements of the tourism industry.

In the framework of the program articles of the first President of the Republic of Kazakhstan N.A.Nazarbayev «Orientation for the future: spiritual revival» and «Seven Faces of the Great Steppe» from December 1, 2019 in order to promote and implement archaeological and architectural monuments of our country and foreign tourists, to bring the tourism of the republic to the international level in accordance with modern requirements opened «Visit-centre» The State Archaeological Museum-Reserve «Otyrar», held a republican scientific and practical conference on the topic «Otrar- a leading example of research, preservation, use of archaeological monuments of Kazakhstan».

The action «Gift to the Museum» was held several times to replenish the museum fund. Every year, international, national and regional fairs on various subjects are organized to present the works of local craftsmen to the public.

In connection with the creation of the Children’s Club mentioned in the Address of the Head of State Kassym-Jomart Kemelula Tokayev on September 1, 2020 «Kazakhstan in a new situation: period of action» to the people of Kazakhstan, a club called Created «Young Regional Scholar». The group classes are designed to educate students about citizenship and patriotism, love of the Motherland, teaching and familiarizing them with the history of their native land, love of their land and respect for the people of their native land.

In 2020-2022, within the framework of a three-year project, archaeological and restoration works were carried out in Otyrar. As a result, archaeologists discovered the location of the mausoleum crypt of the 15th century Khanaka, built by the ruler of the White Horde Erzen Khan. At the entrance to the city through the gate «Jarakhty» a complex with residential buildings and pottery workshop was discovered. Near the houses there are industrial premises, two-chamber furnaces for pottery, drying place pottery, archaeological excavations on the market square of the 17th century, there revealed a bakery complex and a residential complex, as well as restoration and conservation works. Partially restored mosque of burnt brick and Berdibek Palace, where Amir Temir received ambassadors of khan Tokhtamys in the early 15th century.

It is known that the huge and boundless Kazakh land has experienced several historical eras, starting from ancient times and ending the era when our generation grew up.

It is our duty to preserve the historical and cultural heritage of the Kazakh people, to transmit it to future generations, to explain our past history with material evidence and to promote our national values. Employees of the Otrar Museum-Reserve contribute to the study of the cultural heritage of the Otrar district. In the future, work will be carried out on government programmes and various projects.