An insufficiently-known structure in the Çu Basin (Kazakhstan): Ak kesene
(53rd Annual Meeting of the PIAC, St. Petersburg 2010)
In the Çu Basin of Kazakhstan, in a region which has become a desert, there is a structure which is publicly known as Ak Kesene (White Tomb). The building which does not carry any inscriptions, is constructed by using mud-brick. There has been insufficient academic research concerning this structure. In terms of material and plan features, it carries the characteristics of the tomb (türbe) architecture in the Turkish period. This study will analyze the structure in comparison with the Central Asian and Anatolian-Turkish tombs and will reveal its place and significance within the tomb (türbe) architecture of the Turkish period.