Ancient caravan routes of Western Saryarka

The article examines the ancient caravan and overland routes that passed through Saryarka and other areas of the Kazakh Steppe. The purpose of the study is to investigate the caravan routes of the Late and Medieval periods that passed through the western part of Saryarka, particularly the Turgai Steppe. The paper reveals the historical significance of the Ulytau-Turgai Steppe as an important link between Siberia and Central Asia since ancient times, providing data on 19th century caravan routes. The article also analyzes several medieval historical events associated with these routes, such as Tamerlane's campaign against Khan Tokhtamysh in 1391, the Sibanid campaign against the Ulytau in 1582, and the journey of the Italian ambassador Rubruk in 1252-1253. The author demonstrates that these events followed the same route, particularly the section passing through Betpakdala. Based on this research, the author proposes a new perspective on Guillaume de Rubruck's journey through the Kazakh Steppe. The caravan and overland trails have been mapped and are presented for study by the historical community. The study employed the methodologies of field ethnography and comparative historical analysis.