A thousand years ago, this was the site of Balasagun — the capital of the powerful Karakhanid Khanate, and one of the largest cities along the Great Silk Road. Today, only a single tower remains. But what a tower it is.
The Burana Tower stands amid the ruins of the Burana settlement, 12 kilometres south-west of Tokmok, on the left bank of the Chu River. Built from fired brick in the 10th–11th centuries, it is an outstanding monument of the Karakhanid era. Nearby lie the remains of fortress walls, the foundations of a palace complex, two mausoleums, and a field of stone balbals — ancient grave markers left by nomadic peoples.
In 1976, a republic-level open-air archaeological and architectural museum was established on the site of the settlement. Excavations have turned up coins, metal artefacts, glassware and bone objects — evidence that this was once a wealthy and technologically advanced city. The complex is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
