Kulan is a complex of different-sized monuments situated on the territory of the village of Kulan and its environs, in the T. Ryskulov region of Zhambyl Province.

Kulan was first mentioned in the 7^th century manuscripts of Chinese pilgrim Siuan-Tszian. In the 8^th to the 10^th centuries it was recorded by Arab writers describing the towns situated along the Great Silk Road. The Arab geographer al-Makdisi wrote that Kulan was a fortified city with a mosque and was situated on the main Taraz road. A range of renowned historical events have been linked with Kulan. In 740AD, for example, the last West-Turkic Kagan, Ashina Syn was killed there.

As for the layout of the city, the shakhristan, citadel and traces of the unfortified rabad on the eastern side remain. The outside of the city was surrounded by a moat, preserved to a depth of approximately 1m and a width of 15m. An agricultural district, 12-15km² in size, was attached to the settlement and surrounded by an embankment. The citadel was situated in the north-west corner, and nowadays looks like a tall rectangular hill with a small flat area on top. All of the corners were fortified with towers, currently recognisable as raised mounds. Archaeological investigations revealed three cultural layers: from the 7^th-8^th centuries, 9^th-10^th centuries and 11^th-12^th centuries. During these works at Kulan, a unique palace belonging to a Karluk governor was discovered, with a particularly interesting architectural design. Until this point the principal findings resulting from local excavations had been of carved or flat terracotta, yet the finds at Kulan were air-dried bricks with various patterns. The remains at the ancient settlement of Kulan testify to that fact that the medieval city was a centre of craftsmanship and trade on the Great Silk Road. Archaeological investigations of the settlement’s ‘temple complex’ (in 2006) led to the collection of a rich and interesting variety of ceramics: cooking pots, jugs, mugs, urns, candleholders and small tables.