Kazakhstan wasn't exactly blessed with historical heritage: the whole country is just endless steppe, the Silk Road bypassed the Kazakhs entirely, and they themselves were constantly nomadic. But there is one ancient historical site: the Mausoleum of Ahmad Yasawi in Turkestan.

It's deeply revered by Central Asian Muslims (there's actually a whole collection of different mausoleums here, this is the most important one). Many even believe that before going on the hajj, you should first come here.

Recently, Turkestan got the status of regional capital, so major budget funding started flowing in. The entire territory is being excavated, and the mausoleum itself is surrounded by construction. Locals say they're preparing a burial site for Nazarbayev. Apparently he's getting on in years, and this kind of preparation takes time.