The Khan’s Final Resting Place

Khan Molasy stands on the very spot where Abulkhair Khan met his end. Abulkhair Khan was the 18th-century ruler of the Junior Juz (the western Kazakh steppe and today’s Orenburg Region) A sharp strategist and a pragmatic politician, Abulkhair spent years juggling the Dzungar threat, internal rivalries, and pressure from neighboring empires. In 1731, he placed the Junior Juz under Russian protection – a decision still argued about to this day.

The Ambush That Changed the Steppe

In 1748, Barak Sultan, Abulkhair’s long-time rival, prepared an ambush on the Ulkayak River. Tension between them had been simmering for years, and Abulkhair’s cooperation with the Russian Empire only deepened the rift. Abulkhair was wounded in battle and killed by Barak Sultan.

“Bury Me Where I Die”

Abulkhair’s son, Yeraly, honored his father’s final wish by erecting a mausoleum right on the battlefield. The warriors who fell beside the khan were buried nearby. Over time, families began to bury their relatives next to these graves, and a necropolis grew there.

Archaeologists surveyed the mausoleum in 2011, conducting DNA analysis that confirmed the remains belonged either to Abulkhair Khan or to a direct male relative.

Mound, Steles, and Clan Symbols

A new mausoleum and memorial complex were built here in 2015. It features three stelae covered in tamgas (the symbols of Kazakh clans). Rising upward, they represent the unity of the three juzes, a goal Abulkhair had worked toward throughout his life.

How to get there?

The Khan Molasy Necropolis lies in the Aitekebi District of the Aktobe Region, near the border with Kostanay Region, roughly 400 km (250 mi) east of Aktobe. Reaching it requires an SUV, the final stretch consists only of steppe roads.

Other tourist attractions near the necropolis:

• Jamanshin Meteorite Crater
• Naurzum Nature Reserve
• Volchy Waterfall