Turkestan
Silk Road region
Turkestan is a vast region of Central Asia historically inhabited by Turkic peoples, stretching from the Caspian Sea to the Gobi Desert.
The area is often divided into Western Turkestan (now Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan) and Eastern Turkestan (China's Xinjiang region).
The name means "land of the Turks." Also spelled Turkistan.
Largest landlocked country
- UzbekistanLandlocked Central Asian nation
- KyrgyzstanCentral Asian mountainous republic
- TajikistanCentral Asian republic
- XinjiangChinese autonomous region
Tashkent · steppe · oasis · Central Asia
Historic transcontinental trade network
- caravansGroups traveling together
- merchantsThose who conduct commerce
- silkFine woven insect fiber
- spicesAromatic food flavorings
camels · caravanserai · bazaars · textiles · porcelain · tea · jade · horses
Historic Central Asian city
- madrasasIslamic religious schools
- minaretsMosque tower structures
- mausoleumsLarge ornate burial buildings
- caravanseraiTraveler's courtyard lodge
Merv · bazaars · citadels · ancient ruins · UNESCO
Portable circular tent homes
- herdersLivestock guardians and guides
- pastoralismMobile livestock husbandry
- nomadsUnsettled, roving people
- tribesAncestral social groups
horseback · grazing · flocks · livestock · Scythians · clans · kinship · migration
Historic transcontinental trade network
- Russian EmpireRomanov-ruled Eurasian state
- Soviet UnionFormer communist superstate
- Genghis KhanMongol Empire's founder
- TamerlaneTurco-Mongol empire builder
Kazakhstan
Largest landlocked country
- UzbekistanLandlocked Central Asian nation
- KyrgyzstanCentral Asian mountainous republic
- TajikistanCentral Asian republic
Xinjiang · Tashkent · steppe · oasis · Central Asia
Silk Road
Historic transcontinental trade network
spices · camels · caravanserai · bazaars · textiles · porcelain · tea · jade · horses · trade routes
Samarkand
Historic Central Asian city
- madrasasIslamic religious schools
- minaretsMosque tower structures
- mausoleumsLarge ornate burial buildings
Merv · caravanserai · bazaars · citadels · ancient ruins · UNESCO
yurts
Portable circular tent homes
- herdersLivestock guardians and guides
- pastoralismMobile livestock husbandry
- nomadsUnsettled, roving people
tribes · horseback · grazing · flocks · livestock · Scythians · clans · kinship · migration · felt
Silk Road
Historic transcontinental trade network
- Russian EmpireRomanov-ruled Eurasian state
- Soviet UnionFormer communist superstate
- Genghis KhanMongol Empire's founder
TurkestanPersia
Iran's former name
Arabia · Hindustan · Mongolia · Christendom · Kurdistan
Turkestannation-state
Sovereign political territory
sovereign state · Japan · France · empire · kingdom
TurkestanRussian Empire
Romanov-ruled Eurasian state
Soviet Union · imperial Russia · People's Republic of China · metropole · colonial power