And googlemaps didn't help as it has the mausoleum marked in two places.

We asked the police if we could sleep in the car park- normally forbidden, but for us OK.

This is our first view of the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasavi.

The wall doesn't go all the way round.

Commissioned in 1398 by Tamerlane (Timur). Stopped on his death in 1405.

Its a UNESCO site.

His approach was to kill lots of people, enforce the adoption of Islam, and establish grand buildings, particularly in Samarkand (Uzbekhistan), his capital.

Khoja Ahmed Yasavi (1093 - 1166) was a Sufi Mystic and Poet.

This mausoleum is built over a smaller 12th century building.

We couldn't help noticing the foundations weren't quite straight.

These buttresses were added quite a long while ago.

Looks like there's also monitoring of the water table.

Mausoleum Rabii Sudtan Begim.

Built in the 15th century.

The room under the main dome was full of scaffolding, walls uniformly white. There's a large (very) copper cauldron.

We were a bit sensitive to those praying but we did see the sarcophagus - down a short corridor to the right of the locked door.

There are also the remains of about 40 people in various places within the mausoleum.

A few visits to Turkistan, and this mausoleum are the equivalent of a visit to Mecca for the Haj.

Nearby was also the underground place that Khoja Ahmed Yasavi chose to pray  when he turned 63 years old.

His view was that he should not look on the world longer than his prophet.

The "photos on a camel" are aimed at Kazakh tourists.

A beautifully groomed camel. When we think about it city dwellers are the same the world over. Out of touch with the country?

We'd intended having a look in the museum but were so busy chatting we didn't.

We needed water and he took us home for bore water, and tea. We are very grateful as we were nearly empty.

Also a trip to the supermarket, wonderful with someone to translate.

He is visiting Otrar with family  tomorrow and we'll probably see them there.