Orda Bazar

Orda Bazar is the name associated with an unfortified medieval settlement near the mausoleum traditionally attributed to Jochi Khan in the Ulytau country. Excavations have revealed dwellings of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, while nearby tombs recall the rulers and communities of the steppe. The site lay near routes along the Kengir and Sarysu rivers, which linked the uplands with the country of the Syr Darya.

In the fifteenth century Ulytau was associated with the court of Abulkhair Khan, ruler of the nomadic Uzbeks. The name Orda Bazar also appears on coins and in accounts of the great market accompanying a khan's court. Such markets could move with the ruler, linking pastoral peoples and merchants across the broad territories of the Jochid ulus.