The Site of Ornek

(1) Contribution to the Silk Roads' OUV

Ornek is Kulshub arised on the Silk Road as a Turk rate, which converted into a city and became a bridge of human values interchange of the nomads and settlers.

(2) General Information

Ornek is located 8 km south from the village Ornek, on the banks of rivers Altynsu and Shybyndy, in Sulutor gorge. The central part of the settlement is a quadrangular court, with the corners oriented to the cardinal points. The site area along the ridge of the surrounding it rampart is 155 × 160 m. At the corners and along the perimeter of walls there are hilly 31 towers. In each of the four sides can be traced entries in the form of breaks in the ramparts. From the entries were lead the roads that crossed in the center of the settlement. Visible remnants of ancient buildings is a rectangular building in the center of the settlement, its size is approximately 50 × 20 m, denoted by separate stone laying outs, three howz-reservoirs, as well as the remains of barracks type buildings. Mosque of the 10th – 12th centuries located in the central part of the settlement is a rectangular building in size of 40 × 20m on the outer perimeter of the walls, oriented to the cardinal points. Base of the walls are made of stone boulders. Clearing of the bases showed that the wall itself was wattle and daub, with width of about 1 m. On the surface of the floor was found a system of stone base of the columns. Two of them are the blocks carved out of massive boulders. The first is decorated on one side by the slot ornament made by a double line. There is a figure in the form of stem of vase, which shows a list with two tendrils extending from the heft. The second - trapezoidal block, on two facets there are carved images of anthropomorphic creatures. Third base is in the form of a two-stage unit. Two more excavations were laid at hilly areas of the parts, formed with stone boulders, which revealed the remains of small residential buildings, its grounds were made of boulders. They were divided inside into two parts by the partition of the smaller stones. Ceramics of the constructions is typical for the period of the 10th -12th centuries. Another excavation was laid on a separate estate, at the south of the settlement. It consisted of a living room and yard. The house was located in the northeastern part of the estate, which consists of living area, patio and space for livestock. The base of the home walls to a height of 1 m were made of stone boulders, larger at the bottom and sealed with clay mortar. The floors in the living rooms lined with cobblestones. There were sufas, hearths, tandoors and bins in the premises. The study of the topography of the Ornek site and excavations give an image of the center of the settlement and trade. At the same time, the powerful fortifications, mosque, rich mausoleum – all this is an evidence that the site is the remains of the city, which was formed on the basis of the rates of nomadic rulers. Mausoleum with burials of the 10th – 12th centuries located over the pottery in the same hill. Mausoleum was used for collective burial, made in the vaults of mud bricks. The vaults were of oval form up to 2 m. From above they were covered by two rows of bricks set on edge, forming a “firtree”. Inside the eastern wall cleared up three vaults. Outside the eastern wall of the mausoleum was adjoined by two more vaults. The overlap of the mausoleum was flat; its remains are cleared up on the floor. Near the southern wall there were charred block of the wooden decor of the mausoleum - one full and a fragment. The boards were covered with carved vegetable and geometric ornament, executed in two ways. In the arch there is a repeated motif of semipalmette. Arch is inscribed into a rectangular area, in the corners of which there are depicted vegetable curls. Lower plan is a heartshaped with a rounded top and antennae in the corners of a rectangular field. In the study of the stratigraphy of the excavation revealed that the mausoleum and tombs destroyed the pottery that was below: on the floor area found the upper part of a millstone with pits, grooves on the surface, a large number of unburned pottery shards. During the excavations of the workshop was collected pottery, typical for the southwestern Zhetysu of Karluk period of the 8th – 9th centuries. Glazed ceramics is represented by chirag with faceted body and a long spout. It is covered with a dull, dark green glaze. Collected some fragments of bowls with green glaze and engraving. Also found a bowl covered with a transparent glaze over white engobe and underglazed engraving of epigraphic character. During the excavation were discovered iron-edged knives with handle up to 10 cm, single-edged blade fragment, the total length of which was not less than 25 cm, loop grip of iron pot and a fragment of the iron plate bracelet. The outer wall is a rectangle with the size of the parties: the southwestern – 330 m, northwestern – 290, the northeastern – 300, the southeastern one consists of two serried obtuse angle sections of 200 and 160 meters in the middle of the northeastern part of the wall there is traced a break – the remains of passage. Rectangular, square and irregular plots, which are separated from each other with stone boulders, located around the fortification, mainly behind the outer wall to south and southeast along the Solutor gorge. An array of these areas stretches along the banks of Solutor up to 4 km and in width – up to 1.2km. The plots, situated around, have common fence. Plot sizes range from 250-300 to 1.000-2.000 m. The total area of it, therefore, is about 500 hectares. Fences overlap the external and internal walls and ramparts of the settlement, it follows that the ramparts were built later.

(3) Attributes

Archaeological materials indicate that this city on the Silk Road, on the segment of Tian Shan corridor was a place of outstanding interchange of human values. It is here in the foothills of the Tian-Shan, in a place of passage of the routes of the Silk Road, met the representatives of the urban and nomadic civilizations, each of which professed values of their culture, lifestyle and mentality. Exchange of values happened in this city, which was formed on the basis of a nomadic headquarter. Settled in the town former nomads joined the occupations in trade, crafts and agriculture. The city controlled the way of seasonal migrations of the cattle-breeders from the summer to winter pastures and back again. Near the settlement there is a necropolis of the nomads. A catalyst for the development of the former headquarters and turning it into a city was the interchange of human values. In the area of the settlement there were spring-autumn pastures where nomads cultivated land and grew crops (millet, wheat). In the topography of the suburban part of the settlement, located along the mountain streams, there were numerous plots of fields enclosed by stone walls, with fixed dwellings settled on the land of nomads. In the center of a rectangular form of headquarter located Karluk nobles houses and guard barracks, howzes – water reservoirs, and was one of the earliest mosque of pillar type on the territory. Near the headquarters the archaeologists discovered workshops of the potters, craftsmen of burnt bricks for the building needs of the population. The settlement Ornek is Kulshub settlement, originated on the Silk Road as a Turkic headquarter, which evolved into the city, became a bridge of interchange of human values of the nomads and farmers. The city's population was heterogeneous in ethnic and confessional terms. Some of them, judging by the pottery (ritual vessels and lamps), worshiped Zoroastrianism, they were Sogdians. Settled Turks were Shamanists and Tengrians. In the 9^th – 10th centuries asserted Islam, which is evidenced by the mosque of pillar type of the 10th – 12th centuries that was excavated and studied, and also Muslim mausoleum of the 11th century with the burials of Muslim rites.

Locating on the Silk Road the city was the center of international and local trade. During excavations here was found Sogdian (Central Asian) ceramics, which is called by archaeologists as the Turkic-Sogdian, pottery with Arabic epigraphic ornament. Near the Sulutor gorge were found the remains of stonemason workshop where revealed stone billets for sculpture and the sculpture itself (balbals).

The central part of the settlement is situated on the river Altynsu (Golden water) was fortified by wattle and daub (pakhsa) wall with towers at the corners. Inside there was a mosque, construction of barrack type, to the north from the wall was located a pottery. The great extent of territory along the river was occupied by the plots of land (fields), enclosed by stone walls. On the site there was a house consisting of one or more premises. It is important that in the central part, on the river Altynsu cleared the remains of the 17 water mills. Grain and flour were needed for passing caravans, as well as bread and tissues, as evidenced by written records, were the main subjects of the demand of the nomads. And yet in the mainstream of the river Altynsu found more than 10 large stones, which go outside of their plane. On the upper floors of stone there were arranged wells that served to trap gold dust during the rise of water in the river or when snow glaciers melted in summer. Ornek was the only city where the gold was extracted in this way.

The settlement Ornek, which corresponds to Kulshub, is located in the foothills of the Kyrgyz Alatau, on the upper foothills of the Silk Road route in the Sulutor gorge on which there was a road to the summer mountain pastures, where in winter time raised nomads with their herds of cattle. At the end of summer they used to climb down to the mountains and move further into the Moyinkum desert on winter pastures.

Qudamaah ibn Jarar, who lived in the 10th century, in his book “Kitab al Kharadzha” describing the land trade route from Taraz to Kulan, wrote: “From Kasribas to Kulshub there are 4 farsakhs, and it is the same as Kasribas, to the right there is a mountain where there are a lot of fruits, clover and mountain vegetables. From Kulshub to Kulan it is same - 4 farsakhs. “Ornek ancient settlement which corresponds to Kulshub, is located in the foothills of the Kyrgyz Alatau, the upper piedmont the Silk Road in the gorge of Sulutor where there passed a road to summer mountain pastures, which were raised in the summer of nomads with their herds of cattle. At the end of the summer they get down to the foothills and moved further into the desert of Moyun Kum to winter pastures. In the area of Ornek the desert comes almost close to the foothills, therefore Ornek was a place where there was a contact between the nomads and farmers, steppes and cities - contacts of the two great cultures. From the earliest time in Zhetysu where Ornek and other settlements of the Tian Shan corridor are located, celebrated symbiosis of settled and nomadic tribes and peoples, such as Saka, Wusuns, the ancient Turks, Sogdians. City and steppe were not two antagonistic worlds, but two branches of a number of states, their economic base. Flourish of the cities, including those located on the Great Silk Road, is largely due the interaction of nomads, farmers and city dwellers, nomads’ settling down. They brought in a lot of steppe elements in an urban culture and it is here in Zhetysu, formed a kind of urban culture and cities. Zhetysu where situated Ornek and other cities of Tian Shan corridor, were marked by the symbiosis of the settled and nomadic tribes and nations, such as Saka, Usun, ancient Turks, Sogdians. City and steppe were not two antagonistic worlds, but two branches of economy of many states, their economic base. Rise of cities, including those situated on the Silk Roads, is mainly related to the interaction of nomads, farmers and city dwellers, nomads’ settling down. They brought in urban culture a lot of steppe elements and exactly here in Zhetysu, formed a kind of urban culture and cities.

Ornek, which was situated on the Silk Road, nowadays continues to be a place (now village) on the road Taraz - Ornek - Kulan, foothill road, which follows the route of the Silk Road in the Middle Ages, as well as roadpost path of pre-revolutionary Russia. So far, in the neighboring to Ornek Podgornoye village preserved the post office of the 19th – early 20th century. At 3 km to the north from Ornek there is a railway, built in 1928- 1930. Turksib (Turkestan-Siberian Railway), from which there are branches that go to China till Alashankou and further China Railway leads to Urumqi and Beijing.

Another direction is from the Zhetygen station (40km northeast of Almaty) to Khorgos in China. Ornek preserves the ancient tradition and remains an important center of transport communications. Solutor Valley, where the settlement Ornek is situated, is a place where from the earliest times passed nomads of trade routes to the summer roam in the mountains from Moiynkum desert and back. So far, they serve as routes of livestock, cattle-breeders still put here yurts, and at the same time in the gorge there are arrays of fields of farmers on the coast, accumulated to agricultural areas of the medieval farmers who had settled among the nomads. Survived to this day memorable landmark rocks (e.g., step-stone altar), around which people gathered on holidays, as the day of Chaban. As in antiquity, there are still arranged bayga (racing horses), sports national competitions, and traditional music is performed.