Saray-Jük ( Turki/ Kypchak and Persian: سرایجوق, ''Sarāyjūq''; , ''Kışı Sarai''; , ''Sarayçıq''), was a medieval city on the border between Europe and Asia. It was located 50 km north Atyrau on the lower

Ural River The Ural, also known as the Yaik , is a river flowing through Russia and Kazakhstan in the continental border between Europe and Asia. It originates in the southern Ural Mountains and discharges into the Caspian Sea. At , it is the third-longes ...

, near the modern village of Sarayshyq,

Atyrau Region Atyrau Region (; ) formerly known as Guryev Region () until 1991, is one of the regions of Kazakhstan, in the western part of the country around the northeast of the Caspian Sea. Its capital is the city of Atyrau, with a population of 355,117; t ...

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the Kazakhstan–Russia border, north and west, China to th ...

. The city lay on an important

trade route A trade route is a logistical network identified as a series of pathways and stoppages used for the commercial transport of cargo. The term can also be used to refer to trade over land or water. Allowing goods to reach distant markets, a singl ...

between Europe and China and flourished between the 10th and 16th centuries.

History

Until recently it was believed that Saray-Jük was founded by

Batu Khan Batu Khan (–1255) was a Mongol ruler and founder of the Golden Horde, a constituent of the Mongol Empire established after Genghis Khan's demise. Batu was a son of Jochi, thus a grandson of Genghis Khan. His '' ulus'' ruled over the Kievan ...

, a khan (king) of Mongol Empire, but archaeological excavations suggest that the city could have been founded as early as the 10th or 11th century. By the 13th century Saray-Jük became an important trade center, and was one of the biggest cities of the

Golden Horde The Golden Horde, self-designated as ''Ulug Ulus'' ( in Turkic) was originally a Mongols, Mongol and later Turkicized khanate established in the 13th century and originating as the northwestern sector of the Mongol Empire. With the division of ...

(Golden Palace). The ruins of the suburb Aqtöbe, located near Atyrau were preserved until the 20th century. The city had a ceramic water-pipe and both metallurgy and pottery were also developed. Neighboring populations were agriculturist or fishermen. The Moroccan traveller,

Ibn Battuta Ibn Battuta (; 24 February 13041368/1369), was a Maghrebi traveller, explorer and scholar. Over a period of 30 years from 1325 to 1354, he visited much of Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the Iberian Peninsula. Near the end of his life, Ibn ...

, passed through the town in around 1333 on his way from New Sarai to

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...

. At the time the river was spanned by a bridge of boats. While in the town Ibn Battuta sold his horses and purchased camels to draw his wagons on the next stage of his journey to

Konye-Urgench Konye-Urgench (, ; , ), also known as Old Urgench or Urganj, was a city in north Turkmenistan, just south from its border with Uzbekistan. It is the site of the ancient town of Gurgānj, which contains the ruins of the capital of Khwarazm. Its in ...

. Neighborhoods of the city were a popular resort among the

's nobility. After the disintegration of the Golden Horde in the 14th century the city fell into decay: in 1395 it was ruined by

Timur Timur, also known as Tamerlane (1320s17/18 February 1405), was a Turco-Mongol conqueror who founded the Timurid Empire in and around modern-day Afghanistan, Iran, and Central Asia, becoming the first ruler of the Timurid dynasty. An undefeat ...

, but it was rebuilt in the 1430s-1440s. It remained the main city of the

Nogai Horde The Nogai Horde was a confederation founded by the Nogais that occupied the Pontic–Caspian steppe from about 1500 until they were pushed west by the Kalmyks and south by the Russians in the 17th century. The Mongol tribe called the Manghuds con ...

. Uncovered

coin A coin is a small object, usually round and flat, used primarily as a medium of exchange or legal tender. They are standardized in weight, and produced in large quantities at a mint in order to facilitate trade. They are most often issued by ...

s suggest that the city retained commercial significance throughout the 16th century. The Kazakh khan also had headquarters there later. In 1580 or 1581,Bregel, Historical Atlas of Central Asia, Map 27 has 1581 and a previous raid in 1573. The Russian wiki has 1580 or 1581. it was ruined by "thief Cossacks"—that is,

Cossacks The Cossacks are a predominantly East Slavic languages, East Slavic Eastern Christian people originating in the Pontic–Caspian steppe of eastern Ukraine and southern Russia. Cossacks played an important role in defending the southern borde ...

uncontrolled by the

Russian government The Russian Government () or fully titled the Government of the Russian Federation () is the highest federal executive governmental body of the Russian Federation. It is accountable to the president of the Russian Federation and controlled by ...

Ruins

The remains of buildings, workshops and others are situated at the bank of

, which is washing away the ruins. In 1999 a memorial complex was established on the site by Kazakhstani authorities.

Footnotes

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Saray-Juk Populated places in Atyrau Region Former populated places in Kazakhstan Populated places in the Golden Horde