Ilibalyk
Ilibalyk, also spelled Ilanbalyk or Ilibaly, was a major medieval Silk Road city in the Ili River valley of present-day southeastern Kazakhstan. Occupied from the 9th through the 14th centuries, the site comprises a fortified administrative core, extensive suburbs, and a large contemporary Nestorian necropolis.
Etymology
The name “Ilibalyk” derives from Turkic "Ili-balyq", literally “city on the Ili.” Medieval Persian and Armenian chronicles record variants such as Ilanbalyk and Ilibaly.Location and geography
Ilibalyk is located near the modern village of Usharal, Panfilov District, Jetisu Region, approximately north of the present Ili River channel. The site spans some 5 km² of floodplain and a low ridge, commanding a route through the northern Tien Shan corridor.Historical context
From the 9th century, Ilibalyk lay within the eastern frontier of the Turkic Karakhanid realm; following the Mongol conquests it formed part of the Chagatai Khanate. Contemporary travelers, including Armenian King Hetum I, mention Ilibalyk as a fortified riverine caravanserai and market town on the route between Central Asia and Almaliq in China.Archaeological research
Discovery and survey
A carved Church of the East gravestone discovered in 2014 near Usharal, Kazakhstan prompted a systematic archaeological survey of the site. Since 2016, annual field campaigns have investigated the medieval city's core, including a fortified shahristān and surrounding rābāds. Excavations have also documented a Christian necropolis measuring roughly 60 x 70 m, with over 110 graves excavated to date, as well as the remains of an associated funerary chapel.Necropolis (Nestorian cemetery)
Excavations beginning in 2016 uncovered an extensive medieval cemetery outside the western wall, with over 110 graves excavated to date. All burials adhere to east-west alignment, typifying Church of the East funerary practice; several contained grave goods.Fifty-five grave markers have been found bearing variants of the Nestorian cross, a few with Syriac inscriptions, some transliterating Old Turkic or Persian. A mud brick funerary chapel structure adjacent to the graves suggests communal liturgical activity. DNA and radiocarbon analyses are underway to determine the cemetery's demographic composition and chronology.
Material culture
Surface collection and trenching have yielded:- Numismatics: ~175 coins, predominantly Karakhanid and Chagatai, including issues from Almalyk
- Ceramics: Glazed wares, unglazed tablewares, lamps, vessels, dating 11th-14th c.
- Metallurgy: Iron tools and small silver ornaments.
- Jewelry: Beads, bracelets, rings, earings.
- Textile: Boqtaq-style headdress.
Architecture and bathhouse