General Information about the Museum
The Turkistan Regional Museum of History and Local Lore is one of the oldest and largest museums in Kazakhstan. It was founded in 1920. The museum’s collection includes historical, ethnographic, and archaeological artifacts.
As Turkistan is considered the spiritual center of the Turkic world, the museum’s primary mission is to preserve and promote the region’s rich history, its sacred sites, and the legacy of outstanding figures for future generations.
The Regional Museum plays an important role in educating young people, promoting the achievements of independent Kazakhstan, and fostering national culture and spiritual values. Today, it has become a cultural heritage site for local residents as well as numerous visitors to the region.
Being among the first museums established in the republic, the Regional Museum now holds a collection of more than 107,000 exhibits.
Currently, the Turkistan Regional Museum of History and Local Lore has seven branches:
- Sattar Yerubayev Literary and Cultural Museum (Turkistan city).
- Turar Ryskulov Museum of History and Local Lore (T. Ryskulov village, Tulkubas district, Turkistan region).
- “Ardakty Ana” Museum (Aksukent village, Sairam district, Turkistan region).
- “Mirtemir” Literary and Memorial Museum (Yeski Ikan village, Sauran district, Turkistan region).
- “Shammat Ishan” Museum (Karnak village, Sauran district, Turkistan region) – an architectural monument included in the list of monuments of history and culture of national significance.
- Saryagash District Museum of History and Local Lore (Saryagash city, Turkistan region).
- Shardara District Museum of History and Local Lore (Shardara city, Turkistan region).
Key Figures for 2022–2024
- Total number of museum items: 107,080
- Newly acquired exhibits: 6,502
- Total visitors: 373,607
- Exhibitions held: 521
International Exhibitions:
- Festival of National Cuisines of Central Asian Countries “Culture of the Kazakh People” (2023, Dushanbe, Republic of Tajikistan).
- Exhibition of SPECA member states dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the UN Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (2023, Baku, Republic of Azerbaijan).
- V World Nomad Games (2024, Astana, Republic of Kazakhstan).
- Total number of lectures delivered: 1,842
Additionally, five museum employees were awarded the badge of honor “Best Culture Worker” for their significant contribution to the development of culture, many years of dedicated service, and active involvement in advancing the cultural sector.
