Kyzylorda

A settlement existed under Seljuk, the founder of the Seljuk dynasty. The modern city began in 1817 as the site of a Kokand fortress known as Ak-Mechet, or white mosque. The later-famous Yaqub Beg was once the fort's commander, but he was not in command during the final battle. In 1853, during the Russian conquest of Turkestan, the fort was taken by Russian troops under General Vasily Perovsky. ==Climate==

Kyzylorda has a cold desert climate (Köppen climate classification BWk) with hot summers and cold winters. Precipitation is low throughout the year, particularly in the summer months. Snow is common, though light, in winter. The lowest temperature on record is , recorded in February 1969, and the former highest temperature was , recorded on July 7, 1975, {{Weather box ==Agriculture==

Kyzylorda is known for its rice production. Many hundreds of hectares are devoted to rice production. Two rice mills operate in the city. ==Education==

Kyzylorda State University (KSU) after Korkyt ata is the leading center of education, a science and culture center in the Aral region of the Republic Kazakhstan. Established in 1950, the university trains highly skilled specialists in 54 specialties at 11 faculties. ==Transportation==

river flows through the city. Kyzylorda has one airport. It has developed as the supply center of the important oilfields in the nearby Turgay Basin. ==Tourism==

Points of interest for tourists in the Kyzylorda region include the vanished Aral Sea and the Baikonur cosmodrome, archaeological excavations in Sauran and Shyganak, the memorial complex of Korkyt Ata, and several ancient mausoleums. ==Notable people==

• Asim Thahit Abdullah Al Khalaqi (1968–2015), Yemeni formerly held in Guantanamo, given asylum by Kazakhstan in 2015 • Vladimir Hotineanu (1950–2019), former Health Minister of Moldova • Eliezer Kulas (born 1944), Israeli politician • Oleg Tozoni (1927–2012), engineer and inventor • Marina Volnova (born 1989), Olympic boxer • Ilya Ilyin (born 1988), Olympic weightlifter • Batyrkhan Shukenov (1962–2015), Soviet, Kazakh-Russian singer • Mihhail Kõlvart (born 1977), Estonian politician ==Twin towns – sister cities==

Kyzylorda is twinned with: • Arvada, United States • Bolu, Turkey • Bursa, Turkey ==References==