Golden Horde Structure Discovered in Kazakhstan

News July 6, 2026

Aerial view of excavations of a structure in the Zhantai tract, Kazakhstan
Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan
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PAVLODAR, KAZAKHSTAN—Researchers from Margulan University found a large medieval structure while surveying an area in northern Kazakhstan known as the Zhantai tract with lidar and ground-penetrating radar, according to a Qazinform News Agency report. Excavations at the site uncovered fragments of burnt bricks of the type that were used during the so-called Golden Horde period to build palaces, mosques, mausoleums, and other monuments. Established in the thirteenth century, the Golden Horde was made up of lands under the rule of Jochi, a prince of the Mongol Empire. The area extended from Siberia and Central Asia into Eastern Europe, and to the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea to the south. For more on cities built during this period, go to "Searching for Lost Cities: Palaces of the Golden Horde."

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