The most famous South Kazakhstan city is Turkistan. Located on a branch of the Silk Road, Turkistan was a residence of Kazakh khans in 16-19 centuries. The beneficial geographic location on the Silk Road facilitated trade. Preacher Kozha Ahmet Yassawi brought fame to the religious center Turkistan. Tamerlan had a mausoleum built to his honor (14 century) that at once gained the reputation of a holy Muslim pilgrimage location. The glory of the city was so big that it gave the name to the entire Central Asian region prior to the October Revolution in 1917. Before 1917 the region was divided in West Turkistan and East Turkistan. Learn more from the Turkistan and Otrar modules.