Kazakhstan - Central Asia - page 74

Shakhristan¨Market¨ mARKET
(Tole Bi; h 7am-7pm) For a taste of the bazaar
atmosphere for which Taraz used to be cele-
brated, have a wander round busy Shakhris-
tan market, across the road from the now
boarded-up Green Market. Cheap Chinese
clothes and shoes predominate but there's a
small food section towards the east end, and
a couple of inexpensive cafes.
Mausoleums
A wooded park on Ybyraev, 700m east of
Dostyk alany, contains reconstructions of two
small but important medieval mausoleums.
Both house cloth-covered sarcophagi and are
Islamic holy sites; leave shoes outside. The
Karakhan¨Mausoleum ( h 9am-6pm) , origi-
nally built in the 12th century, contains the
tomb of a revered Karakhanid potentate
known as Karakhan or Aulie-Ata (Holy Fa-
ther). The Dauitbek¨ Mausoleum ( h 9am-
6pm) , for a 13th-century Mongol viceroy, is
said to have been built lopsided in revenge
for the man's infamous cruelty. Behind it
is a modern reconstruction of the 9th- to-
12th-century mosque in which Aulie-Ata is
believed to have prayed, but you may find it
locked up.
4 ¨Sleeping
Hotel¨Lirona¨ HOTEL $
( % 50 01 67; [e-mail]; Bayzak Batyr
194; r without breakfast 3000-5000T, incl break-
fast 5000-8000T; paW ) Just 200m straight
ahead outside the train station, but incon-
venient for everything else, the Lirona has
good rooms for its prices. They're clean and
comfy and the most expensive are very big,
though the three cheapest are windowless
and share bathrooms. There's a guest kitch-
en. Reservations (500T) are worthwhile.
Hotel¨Komfort¨ HOTEL $$
( % 45 99 49; Konaev 63; r incl breakfast 8000-
15,000T; pW ) Staff aren't much accustomed
to foreigners yet, and speak no English, but
this recently opened small hotel provides
very spacious, carpeted rooms at good pric-
es, with comfy beds, sofas and bathtubs. It's
on the corner of Kolbasshy Koygeldi.
Hotel¨Gazovik¨ HOTEL $$
( % 43 32 33; [e-mail]; Suleymenov
7A; s 9500-14,000T, d 17,000-22,000T, incl break-
fast; paW ) The best central hotel, the
'Gasman' is a modern, 21-room affair with
good, carpeted rooms boasting paintings,
international TV channels and bathtub.

The half- lux rooms are considerably larger
than the boxlike standard singles. Reception
staff speak some English and there's a Rus-
sian/European restaurant (dishes 1000T to
2000T) downstairs.
5 ¨Eating
Stambul¨Kafesi¨ TURKISH $
(Cafe Istanbul; % 45 39 79; Abay 117A; mains 700-
1100T; h 11am-11pm) Step into this clean,
efficient Turkish cafe for pizza-like pide,
shashlyk and excellent doner kebabs.
Traktir¨Medved¨ RUSSIAN $$
(Tole Bi 56; mains 800-2100T; h 11am-1am; E )
Russian-tavern-style Medved (Bear), with
a warm atmosphere and efficient service,
prepares pretty good meat dishes, soups and
salads. The numerous shashlyk varieties in-
clude several vegetarian options.
Kafe¨Real¨ CENTRAL ASIAN $$
(Kolbasshy Koygeldi 208; mains 900-1600T;
h noon-midnight) Dedicated, oddly enough,
to Real Madrid football (soccer) team, this
pleasant garden restaurant offers a good
range of meat dishes including plenty of
shashlyk varieties. There's draft beer, filtered
or unfiltered, to go with your food.

8 Information
Connect (Tole Bi 59; internet per hr 130T;
h 10am-midnight) Internet cafe with helpful
young staff.

8 Getting¨There¨&¨Away
Taraz' Aulie-Ata airport ( % 31 61 37), 8km
from the centre of the Shymkent road (1000T
by taxi), has four SCAT lights a week each
to Almaty (from 18,000T) and Astana (from
27,000T).
The train station ( % 96 01 15; Baluan Sholak)
is 4km south of the centre. At least ive daily
trains run to Almaty (2890T, nine to 12 hours)
and 10 or more to Shymkent (1715T, four hours),
plus at least six a day to Turkistan and Aralsk,
and one or more to Astana.
From the bus station ( % 45 53 40; Zhambyl),
4km northeast of the centre, minibuses leave
when full for Almaty (2500T, eight hours, 8am
to 6pm), Shymkent (800T, three hours, 8am
to 8pm) and Bishkek (1200T, ive hours, 8am
to 8pm). There are also a few full-size buses to
Almaty (rear/front seat 1000/1500T) leaving
between 9pm and 11pm from the bus station and
from Hotel Lirona (p80). Shared taxis to Almaty
(5000T, seven hours) and Bishkek (3000T, four
hours) leave from outside the bus station until
early evening. Shared taxis to Shymkent (2000T,