Zhunus ata, the mausoleum.

Zhunus ata, the mausoleum. It is located 25 km east of the city of Turkestan, in the southern part of the village of Ikan (SKR). The mausoleum is located in the center of the settlement of the XIX-XIX centuries, 500 m to the south-east of the medieval hillfort of Ikan.

Zhunus ata is a contemporary of the great Sufi Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, a follower and student. Unfortunately, there is almost no reliable historical information about this man. Information about him is contained in legends and tales, which are widely spread among local residents. Zhunus ata from his mother's side was a nephew of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi and, according to legends, was one of the most gifted and capable of his disciples. There is a legend that clearly shows the talent of Zhunus ata. It is connected with the arrival to Turkestan of the spiritual ruler of Sham (Damascus) Zholbarys khan with his ninety-nine mashayhs (fellow students). The legend describes an episode of crossing the Syr Darya of Zholbarys khan with his companions. Zhunus ata with one stroke of a rod moved the water of the river, and the whole delegation of guests crossed the formed land passage. Surprised by such abilities and talent of his disciple, Khoja Ahmed Yasawi sent Zhunus ata with the mission of preacher of Sufism ideas to Ikan (at that time this village was called Itkhan). This legend is interesting in that it is indirectly confirmed in the document presented by Saydalim Iuldash Nurshiddin, an informant. According to the document, at that time Khoja Ahmed Yasawi was a hakim of the city of Yasi, and Zhunus ata was sent as his representative to Ikan.

The hero of this legend Zholbarys khan was buried in the mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi between the mosque and the library. There is a misconception among the servants of the mausoleum that the burial belongs to the khan of the Elder Zhuz Zholbarys, and the skull of an argali with horns and the skin of a tiger on the grave of the dead is called the prey of Zholbarys khan on a hunt, shot by him. M.E. Masson wrote about this burial: "...Saint Baba Samit Yulbars Khan, whose grave was on this place before the construction of the mausoleum of Timurid time", i.e. the grave could not belong to the Kazakh Khan, as it appeared much earlier than him.

At the time of Zhunus ata, Ikan and its surroundings were famous for their vineyards and ability to grow different kinds of grapes. There is another legend connected with this fact, that once Zhunus ata invited his mentor Khoja Ahmed Yasawi to visit him, having decomposed 120 varieties of grapes on dastarkhan. Since then, Zhunus ata has been considered the patron of viticulture. Khoja Ahmet Yasawi himself, while visiting Zhunus ata, made the following prediction: "Your genus is pious and has a miracle, your descendant in the fourth generation Kamaliddin Shaikh will become famous and revered by all saints". His prediction came true, and the fourth generation descendant of Zhunus ata, Kamal Shaikh Ikani, reached great heights in spreading the teachings of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, was recognized as a great scientist, and the entire Turan learned about Ikan.

The amazing abilities of Zhunus ata are described in the legend about Hakim ata's transgression: he without permission took a kumgan with warm water, prepared for the ablution of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi. St. Khoja Ahmed remained silent, but the next day he placed Hakim ata on a camel and allowed him to leave it only when the camel stopped himself. The animal walked for several days without stopping, crossed the rivers Syr Darya, Amu Darya and stopped only in Khorezm. When the anger of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi died down, he gathered all his disciples and offered them to return Hakim ata, but no one expressed any desire to do so except Zhunus ata. Then Khoja Ahmed Yasawi ordered him to climb on the roof of his house, when the order was fulfilled, the roof turned into a white camel. Ready to travel, Zhunus ata listened to his mentor's last covenant. He ordered to tie Hakim ata's hands when he returned, and thus bring him back. But Zhunus did not fulfill this order, and only when he approached the city of Yasy he tied Hakim's hands. When Khoja Ahmed Yasawi met him, he reproachfully said only one phrase: "You did wrong". Zhunus ata was surprised by the foresight of his mentor and never disobeyed him again in his life.

There are three groups of people in today's Ikan who recognize themselves as descendants of Zhunus ata. But Sabyriddin Eshanov, a minister at the mausoleum of Zhunus ata, says he knows from the words of his father (who was also a minister at the mausoleum) about the belonging of eight tombstones in the mausoleum of Zhunus ata. The first stone, which is on the left side of the mausoleum, belongs to Sabyr ata, the second to Kurban ata, the third to Khalil ata (son of Zhusip ata), the fourth to Zhusip ata himself, the fifth to Ibrahim ata, the sixth to Abduzhalil ata, the seventh to Asan ata and the eighth to Abdu Aziz ata. The oldest of the tombstones belong to Zhusip ata himself and his son Khalil ata, while the rest probably belong to his best students.

The mausoleum of Zhunus ata is registered in the "Code of historical and cultural monuments of Kazakhstan. South-Kazakhstan region" and placed under the protection of the state.

Zhunus ata preached the ideas of Islam among local residents and was recognized as a saint already during his lifetime. Many pilgrims come to his mausoleum and pay tribute to him.