CHYMKENT

The city of 400,000 inhabitants with a high proportion of Kazakh population. Under Tamerlaine’s reign Chimkent was the most powerful trading centre in Kazakhstan, an important staging post on the Great Silk Road. Located near the border with Uzbekistan, the town still engages in trade and has a booming bazaar open from 8am till 8pm. It is a good stopping place between Tashkent and Almaty also as a jumping-off point for Otrar, Turkistan, and Aksu-Zhabaghly nature reserve.

Aliases: Shymkent, Shimkent, Chymkent.