Raiymbek Batyr, the mausoleum

Raiymbek Batyr (1705-1780) - a great Kazakh batyr, a participant in the Kazakh wars against dzungars in the XVIII century. He was from the family of Alban of the Elder Zhuz, his father was Tuke, his grandfather - Hangeldy. Already at the age of 17 he showed unprecedented heroism in the fight against the Dzungar invaders. Raiymbek Batyr, having headed the Kazakh militia, supervised the liberation of the lands of Zhetysu and Karatau, won fights with dzungar batyrs Badam, Koryn, Aganas and others. He participated in the famous Battle of Anyrakai in 1729, in the course of which the united Kazakh army under the leadership of Khan of the Junior Zhuz Abulkhair inflicted a crushing defeat on the dzungar troops of juntaiji Galdan-Tseren. The name Raiymbek Batyr became the name (uranium) of the Albanian family. In 1733 he was in Dzungaria, where he was as an ambassador for the Kazakh tribes of the Elder Juz. Raiymbek Batyr proved himself to be a skilled diplomat by participating in negotiations with China, during which the issue of defining the Kazakh-Chinese border was resolved. Abylai Khan appointed Raiymbek Batyr as one of the commanders of the Kazakh Khanate for his military services.

There are many legends associated with the name of the famous Batyr, who was revered as a saint. Once, hiding from the dzungars, the army of Raiymbek could not cross the stormy river. Having read the prayer and asked God for mercy, he stopped the rapid flow of the river.

During the Civil War, already in the 20th century, the grave of a Batyr was destroyed, and in the 1960s the Muslim cemetery, which was located here, was tried to demolish. City legends report numerous breakdowns of construction equipment and all sorts of mistakes, as a result of which the grave has been preserved. In 1981, a granite stele was installed on the grave of Raiymbek Batyr.

The mausoleum over the tomb of the famous Raiymbek Batyr was erected in September 1994 on the initiative of the historical and ethnographic society "Raiymbek". It is located along the lively Almaty Avenue (Raiymbek Batyr Avenue since 1991). Architects of the mausoleum Raiymbek Batyr - B. Ibraev, Sh. Utebaev, S. Agytaev. The religious structure has a tent form with a cone-shaped dome, on top of which the symbol of Islam - the crescent moon - is placed. The architectural forms of the monument are cylindrical towers with a dome top, its surface is corrugated. At the entrance to the cult complex there is a sculpture of a sitting loaded camel. According to a folk legend, a Batyr left a will to his descendants, which reads: "Lay my body on a white camel, where the camel will sit, and bury there. In the inner courtyard of the complex there is a stele with a biographical plaque. Next to the mazar there is a complex with a room for sacrifices and a warden's house. The cult perimeter complex has a fence.

The sacral nature of the Raiymbek Batyr mausoleum is connected with the fact that he played a significant role in liberating the lands of Zhetysu and South Kazakhstan from dzungars, his name remained in the historical memory of Kazakhs as a defender and statesman. Mausoleum of Raiymbek Batyr is a monument of history, architecture and monumental art of republican importance. The burial place of Raiymbek Batyr is a place of pilgrimage and religious tourism.