Sauran Fortress, in the middle of the Kazakhstan desert near Turkistan, was built during the time of the conquerer Timur (17th century).
Though a small portion of the walls have been restored, most sections are the original crumbling ra,parts from when the fortress was an active and lived-in citadel.The inside of the fort is an active archeological site, though little excavation progress has been made compared to the overall size of the area.The main dig, towards the front of the fortress, has uncovered and restored a number of dwellings and a large central plaza.The workers, upon seeing me wandering through their ACTIVE ARCHEOLOGICAL EXCAVATION, stopped to observe. Instead of growing angry, as was probably warranted, they posed for a few pictures.Further inside the city, a partly-excavated bone/ burial pit. Finally, on the way out, my driver Artur obliges me by taking a picture ato pone of the turrets.
