Hilvet Mosque

Commissioned in 1389 for the 12th-century Sufi poet and mystic Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, but never finished. This mausoleum is nevertheless a major destinations for pilgrimages from across Central Asia and has come to epitomize the Kazakh national identity. Since this is a religious place dress accordingly. Shorts are not permitted, and shoulders should be covered. Headscarves are handed out at the entrance of the mausoleum for free. Be warned if you are imagining austerity and sacredness: the site has been thoroughly tourist-trappified, with the grounds and the interior covered in hawker stalls selling mass-produced trinkets. There are even camel and pony rides!

Turkestan rail station was built around 1906 in art-nouveau style and with adjacent blocks is a great example of railway architecture