Otegen Batyr, the mausoleum

The monument is located 2 km north-east of Otegen village (Kordai district, Zhambyl region).

Otegen Batyr (1699-1773) - Kazakh batyr. His life passed in self-denying struggle with Dzungarian conquerors. Raised by the grandfather Syrymbet, the colleague of Salkam Zhangir, from young years Otegen Batyr has shown himself as the brave soldier, the skilful commander in battles with dzungars.

Batyr's homeland, the land of Zhetysu, played a significant role in the political life of Kazakhstan in the XVIII century, becoming the arena of military actions of the Kazakh-Dzungar confrontation. The territory rich in water springs and pastures was of strategic importance, as transit routes from Eastern Turkestan to the cities of Southern Kazakhstan and Central Asia passed here. In 1655-1670th years Kazakhs managed to release from dzungars the lands occupied by them. But already in 1680th years the nomads of Hoshouts under the governor Galdan Boshoktu Juntaiji reached the coast of Talas; Zhetysu was conquered by dzungars. About 5,000 people were enslaved and almost all the farms of the Kazakhs of the Elder Zhuz were ruined. In 1723-1730s, which went down in history as "the years of great disaster", Otegen Batyr struggled with dzungars together with the Batyrs Tauasar, Raiymbek, Khangeldy, Nauryzbay, Zhanibek and others. The famous Battle of Anyrakai was fought by the militia, headed by the batyrs of all the zhuzes. On both sides of the battle, which lasted several days, about 80,000 people fought. Dzungars were crumpled and fleeing. However, there was a long struggle against the still strong enemy. According to popular legends, Otegen was captured by dzungars and spent more than 10 years chained in blocks. Not broken in spirit Batyr managed to escape from captivity and for a long time remained in China, fleeing from enemies. Returning to his homeland, Otegen became a symbol of courage, revered by the people as a hero, a saint - aulie.

Batyr's mausoleum is erected on his grave, on the top of a hill, it is a sacred place of worship of descendants of the greatness of the ancestors' spirit, the object of pilgrimage. The mausoleum dominates the surrounding area. The building was built with the use of stylistic characteristics of architecture of different regions of Kazakhstan. The building is a rectangular single-chamber "tortkulak" type volume made of monolithic reinforced concrete. The main entrance is accentuated by a portal of a small arrow-shaped outline. The spherical dome is covered with a metal scaly roof. White marble tiles are used in the cladding of the building, contrasting with the dark finish of the portal.

The granite obelisk from the early burial is 5.44 m high and is installed below the mausoleum. The inscription on the obelisk reads: "Babamyz Batyr Otegululy Otegenge eskertkish. 1699–1773» (Monument to our anchestor Otegen Otegululy Batyr). Memorable poems of his descendants are engraved below. Otegen batyr's exploits were sung by the great akyn Zhambyl. The poem "Otegen Batyr" tells about the difficult tests which have fallen on a share of the Kazakh people, and about bravery of national heroes. Uniting in the face of a formidable enemy, the Kazakhs defended their independence, restored the ethnic territory, preserved their culture and traditions.

The Otegen Batyr Mausoleum is a part of the memorial complex and is a pilgrimage site.