The Shokai Datka Mausoleum is located in the Sarysu district on the eastern outskirts of the village of Saudakent, in the old cemetery - the former necropolis of the medieval city of Saudakent. The mausoleum is a characteristic type of monumental religious buildings that has developed in the Shu-Talas region.

The mausoleum was examined in 1946 by G.I. Patsevich, in 1970-1980 - specialists of the expedition of the Ministry of Culture of the Kazakh SSR and Kazproektrestavatsiya. In 2000, it was examined by the expedition of the Code of Historical and Cultural Monuments of the Republic of Kazakhstan, in 2014 by the Archaeological Expedition.

The Tekturmas Mausoleum was built in the 14^th century on the right bank of the River Talas. Zoroastrian (a religion founded by the Persian prophet ‘Zoroaster’ in the late 7th or early 6th centuries BC), Muslim and Christian cemeteries can all be found on top of the hills here, while an ancient underground passage can be found at the base of the hills; a stone bridge could be found across the River Talas at one point but only a few fragments of this remain. In the 1930s, many historical and cultural monuments, particularly religious ones, were partially or entirely destroyed as a result of the actions of militant atheists. Fortunately, a photograph of the mausoleum was saved (from the 1880s). The mausoleum is characterised by its severe form. Investigative excavations were carried out in 2001 by the archaeologist A. Itenov, and a new mausoleum was built for 2002 on the exact site of the former. It was known by local residents as ‘Tek-turmas’ and considered to be the burial site of the holy Sultan Mahmud-khan. The name ‘Tek-turmas’ itself means, in Turkic, ‘unsettled place’.

Of the monuments dating from subsequent centuries, linked with the gradual decline of Taraz under the onslaught of numerous enemies, the Dautbek Mausoleum (13^th century) has been preserved to this day. The full name of the buried was Ulug-Bilge Ikbal-khan Dautbek Shamansur.

The mausoleum originally resembled a marquee – four semicircular arches supporting a dome. The arches rested on a crushed stone foundation.

The mausoleum acquired its modern-day appearance at the end of the 19^th century, when walls were built to close up the arched entrances. Two dummy minarets were built at the south entrance. Archaeologist V.A. Bartold deciphered the inscription on the gravestone, which tells us that the Turkic military commander buried here was a ‘master of both pen and sword’ and ‘defender of Islam and the faithful’ who died on 31^st March 1262. The designer and builder of the mausoleum are unknown.

The Karakhan Mausoleum (11^th-12^th century), also known as ‘Aulie-ata’ (‘sacred father’), is situated in the central part of Taraz (on the intersection of Tole bi and Baizak batyr Street), and was part of the religious memorial complex which took shape on the territory of the medieval rabad. It is thought to have been built on the grave of one of the representatives of the Karakhanid dynasty – Shakh Mahmud Karakhan. Unfortunately, the names of the mausoleum’s builders have been lost over the centuries. Indeed, the mausoleum itself as it originally appeared was not saved. The modern mausoleum was built by the efforts of local residents in 1906, on the same site of the previous mausoleum, though without any of its decoration. We can only judge what the original mausoleum may have looked like, and its architectural value, by a photograph taken in 1902. The photograph shows that the mausoleum was square in form and that its main facade was decorated with brick patterns. Excavations carried out in 1961 revealed that up to thirty varieties of terracotta decoration were used in the mausoleum’s workmanship. The arch above the entrance was wedge-shaped, lined with bricks and supported on columns.

Its neighbouring mausoleum is that of Babadja-khatun (11^th century). It is simple in structure and composition, constructed from baked bricks. No decoration is featured on the walls, though architectural details are accentuated in places in an uncomplicated manner. A cone-shaped dome with sixteen facets, set on a prism-shaped base, lends harmony and symmetry to the mausoleum. Its main facade bears the remainder of an Arabic-lettered inscription: ‘This grand tomb is named Babadja-khatun. Its builder was...’ The name of its builder has, unfortunately, been lost. The mausoleum was built on the grave of Babadja-khatun, who, according to legend, was Aisha’s loyal nurse and guarded the place of her burial to the end of her life.