Eset Batyr Kokiuly, the memorial complex

Eset Batyr Kokiuly, the memorial complex includes monuments, starting with the era of early nomads and ending with the modern burials of the Kazakhs. The main place of worship at the memorial complex is considered to be the Eset Batyr Kokiuly mausoleum (1667–1749), located 2 km east of the village Bestamak (Alga district, Aktobe region).

Batyr Eset lived in the second half of the XVII - in the first half of the XVIII century, leaving an unforgettable trace in the history of the Kazakhs with his heroism and courage. The genealogy of Eset goes back to the genus Tama, which was a member of the Junior Zhuz tribal union Zhetiru. At the beginning of the XVIII century frequent invasions of Dzungars and internal strife led to the weakening of the Kazakh Khanate. Eset batyr, along with batyrs Zhanibek and Bukenbai, showed zeal in preventing the approaching Dzungar threat and the general rallying of the people against the enemy. In 1717-1718, in the battles of the Kazakh militia led by Abulhair and Kaip with the Dzungars on the approaches to Ayagoz, Turkestan on the coasts of Bogen, Shayan and Arys Eset batyr showed his commanding ability. In 1726 the All-Kazakh militia was organized at Ordabasy. At the head of the combined forces, it was decided to put Abulhair. In 1727, for the first time after the “Great Disaster” on the banks of the River Bulanty, the Oirat army was defeated. The place of the battle in people's memory remains as “Kalmak kyrylgan”(Dzungarsextermination). Two years later, at the Lake Balkhash in the town of Anyrakai, a decisive battle took place between the Kazakh and Oirat forces, in which the enemy army was defeated. In this battle, Eset Batyr headed the army of the Younger Zhuz. Later, the life of Eset Batyr was closely connected with the political activities of Khan Abulkhair. Together with Bukenbai and Zhanibek batyrs, Eset batyr was a mainstay, a loyal adviser and ally of the khan. The government of the Russian Empire in 1743, by decree of the empress, assigned to Eset batyr the rank of Tarkhan.

Eset Batyr was buried in the Alga district of the Aktobe region near the village of Bestamak. In 1992, the 325th anniversary of the Batyr was celebrated at the republican level, the mausoleum was re-erected and lined on the outside with limestone-coquina slabs. Single-chamber mausoleum of sub-square layout with helmet dome designed in the style of the mausoleum-stalls of Mangystau type.

In the 1990s, architect T. Djanisbekov introduced some innovations into the traditional style of the West Kazakhstan mausoleums, namely: the entrance opening is oriented to the east, a full-length sculpture of a Kazakh soldier was installed on the cubic kiosk of the mausoleum from the east, from the south and north given the image of the guise of a warrior in a helmet.

The modern memorial complex “Eset Batyr Kokiuly” includes, besides the mausoleum, a museum, the house of the caretaker-shyrakshy. In 2017, in honor of the 350th anniversary of the birth of Batyr, a separate entrance triumphal arch, covered summer platforms for pilgrims were built on the complex, on the Aktobe-Alga highway in the village of Bestamak erected a monument to batyr.