Situated in Zhambyl Province in the Merken region on the western outskirts of the village of Merke, the ancient settlement of Mirki is one of the few in Zhetysu to have kept its medieval name. Mirki was renowned from the beginning of the 8^th century. From the 9^th to 10^th centuries it is mentioned in the travel journals of Kudamy and ibn Khordadbek, who termed it a large settlement. The Arab geographer al-Makdisi noted in more detail that ‘Mirki is a town of medium size, fortified, with a citadel.’

The ruins of Mirki are rectangular in form, set on raised ground. The remains of the citadel can be found in the south-west part of the settlement. What was once the wall dividing the shakhristan from the citadel is now a sunken earth embankment. Remains of the towers can be found in the corners of the settlement and at the entrance to the citadel. The citadel is a rectangular area with remains of buildings, now represented by mounds of different shapes and sizes. The shakhristan takes the shape of an irregular four-cornered embankment 3m tall, surrounded by a sunken wall. At the north and east sides of the shakhristan are remains of a 15m-wide moat.

Archaeological excavations of the settlement have allowed experts to distinguish three cultural layers: 7^th-8^th centuries, 9^th-10^th centuries and 11^th-12^th centuries. A large quantity of ceramics was found on the site. The settlement of Mirki was destroyed by the Mongols in the 13^th century and in the 14^th century it was restored by the Kokand people as a border point. Today there is a regional centre situated on the territory of the ancient settlement.