Kazakhstan Senate Approves Special Status Law for Historic City of Turkestan

The Senate of Kazakhstan has approved new legislation granting special status to Turkestan as the nation's spiritual, cultural, and historical center, reports Orda.kz.

The law aims to preserve the city's historic heritage while managing its rapid growth.

Key Provisions of the Law:

• Heritage Protection: Establishes a management system for preserving historical monuments, including the Khoja Ahmed Yasawi mausoleum
  
• Development Controls: Implements strict construction regulations, including a seven-meter height limit within 100 meters of the mausoleum's security zone
  
• Local Governance: Grants new powers to local authorities (Akimat and Maslikhat) over urban development, architectural standards, and heritage site management
  
• Craft Support: Provides for local budget allocation to support traditional craftsmen

The high growth rate of the city of Turkestan was also taken into account - they do exist - over the past 6 years, on average, the population of Turkestan has grown by 5% per year. This is a huge growth rate. As for projects and financing, in general, even without this draft law, special attention is paid to Turkestan and over the past six years, in 2018, targeted transfers from the republican budget amounted to 13 billion and last year they amounted to 72 billion, that is, they increased by 5.5 times. This had a positive effect. It was that the GRP of the city increased by 6 times, the output of goods in the city increased by 10 times, the city's own income increased by 114 times, Deputy Minister of National Economy Arman Kasenov said.

The legislation emphasizes that new construction must be compatible with historical monuments in "scale, color and building materials."

Looking ahead, the city plans to develop two parks worth 10 billion tenge, a free economic zone, and new infrastructure facilities in 2025.

Original Author: Ilya Astakhov