Address:Shymkent, Kazybek bi Street, 13. Tel: +7 (7252) 38-00-19
The South-Kazakhstan regional museum of history and local history was founded in 1920. Famous scientist and orientalist M. E. Masson and local researchers of local history – V. P. Trizna, I. K. Bykov, M. I. Meklenburtsev and others had played a big role in the formation and development. A new building was built for the museum with the area of 2367 square meters including exposition alone -1058 square m, archiv alone – 440 square m. in 1977. The museum has five scientific-research sections: Archeology section, history and ethnography section, archives section, excursion and informational software section, expositional section and nature section which carry out scientific-research, collecting and enlightening work.
The museum archives have more than 70 thousand monuments of material and spiritual culture. Scientific library holding had more than 6 thousand copies of books. The museum has one sector – Amirtemir Literature museum in StaryiIkan of Turkestan region and 8 branches: HakimAbaymuseum, Artgallery, «Yerlik» museum in Shymkent, S.Yerubayev Memorial museumin Turkestan, museums of history and local history in Saragash and Shardara, museums of history and local history in Belye vody village and T. Ryskulov village Tulkubas district. The exposition of the museum was divided into three section of: nature of the region, archeology and ethnography, history from the beginning of XIX century.
Entomological collection «The world of insects» is demonstrated in the hall «Nature of South-Kazakhstan region». Paleonthological findings in the unique monuments of nature of the region such as «Jurassic Lake Karatau» and Koshkurgan are various. The original adornment of the archives is a collection of mineral resources situated in the circle showcase in the center of the hall. Nature landscapes of the region are presented with dioramas.
Hall of archeology started with a diorama of the cave site Karaungur of the late Stone Age with original artifacts of Palaelith and late Stone age. Expositions of archeology and ethnography sections show original tools, itemsofeverydaylife, armors, arts and crafts and cult of different historical ages which give a presentation about life, everyday life and struggle of tribes and peoples (Scythians, Turks, Uisuns, Kanglys and Kazakhs) situated in the territory of the ancient times up to the beginning of 19 century. Archeology and ethnography sections show traditional Kazakh national houses: the yurt showed in the section.
Exposition of the second floor which shows history of the region from the beginning of XIX century up to now was opened afterreconstruction in 2006. New exposition consists of four sections:
«Region under Kokand khanate in the beginning of XIX century», «Region in Russian Empire. Colonial policy of Russia in Kazakhstan», « Region in the condition of totalitarian system», « Kazakhstan is Independent. South-Kazakhstan region in the period of the independence».New exposition covers materials about national history. It shows: national-liberal struggles of Kazakhs of the end of XIX-beginning of XX centuries, activity of national intellectuals such as A. Baytursunov, A. Bukeykhanov, T. Ryskulov, S. Hodzhanov, T. Tynyshbayev, M. Chahai, Zh. Mynbayev and others who made a big contribution to the development of Kazakhstan and the region including "dark" chapters of history as collectivization, hunger political repressions.
A big part of the hall is devoted to the section of the Great Patriotic war. Original documents, photographs, relics of the war years passed on by the war veterans to the eternal museum storage show feats at the battle front and on the home front of people from the South Kazakhstan. Late-soviet period of history, social-political events in Chernobyl, war in Afghanistan were not left without attention.
The period of the formation of Kazakhstan as the independent state, also rapid economic and social growth in South-Kazakhstan take a special place in the exposition. Rapid temps of the development in the region are seen in the formation new industrial enterprises and strengthening operating ones, in development of the bank system, small and medium business, public health, culture and sport.
Three monitors, broadcasting films about the nature and history of the region shot by a Shymkent journalist Alexi Goncharov, are placed in the museum.
The museum organizes many-sided cultural-enlightenment work being based on valuable collections and original documents, exposition, exhibitions and intellectual base of research assistants. It exchanges mobile exhibitions with museums of the Republic of Kazakhstan annualy and also takes part in conferences; seminars organized by the UNESCO and museums of the far and near abroad.
State Historical and Cultural Reserve Museum “Azret Sultan” presents whole range of archaeological and architectural monuments. The ancient Turkestan city (the historical name Yassa), where is located the reserve museum, is literally surrounded by priceless monuments of the past. It allowed becoming a kind of symbol of the medieval history of Kazakhstan, and the center of pilgrimage and historical tourism.
There are many famous people from South Kazakhstan region: writers, athletes, scientists and artists. Biographies of them have been studied in detail. There is one name among them, which has beautiful legends. It causes difficulty, because you cannot to differentiate the truth from the exaggeration. The name of this legendary wrestler is Kazhymukan, who is known to every schoolchild in Kazakhstan.