of the Kazakh Khanate benefited small southern states which were captured. Finally, this city was conquered in Kokand khanate by Russian General Veryovkin in 1864. When Turkistan fell to the Russian Empire, it was incorporated into the Syr-Darya Oblast of the Governor-Generalship of Russian Turkistan. When the Tsarist regime fell in 1917-18 it was briefly part of the Turkistan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic before being part of the Kazakh ASSR within Soviet Russia in 1924. On 19 June 2018 Shymkent was taken out of South Kazakhstan Region and subordinated directly to the government of Kazakhstan. The administrative centre of the region moved to Turkistan and the region was renamed the Turkistan Region. In 2021, it was announced that the first 5G city will be set up in Turkistan. This project will be sponsored by Kcell and Ericsson. Pilgrimage The city attracts thousands of pilgrims. According to a regional tradition, three pilgrimages to Turkistan are equivalent to one hajj to Mecca (such local piety is known also in relation to other religious monuments in the Muslim world). The Saint was held in such reverence that the city was known as the Second Mecca of the East, a vision which has helped shape the spiritual identity of Muslims in Kazakhstan. Demographics Turkistan had a population of 165,000 in the 2019 census. The population rose by 10% from 1989 to 99, making it the second fastest-growing town in Kazakhstan, after the new capital Astana. The ethnic composition of the city: Kazakhs – 52.5% Uzbeks – 45.2% Other ethnic groups – 2.3% The ethnic composition of the city according to the 1897 census: total – 11,253 Uzbeks – 8,940 (79.4%) Kazakhs – 1,415 (12.5%) Tatars – 506 (4.4%) Russians – 312 (2.7%) At the same time the ethnic composition of the Chimkent uyezd (Chimkent district) which included the city of Turkistan according to the 1897 census: total – 285,059 Kazakhs – 224,704 (78.8%) Sart (non-nomadic Iranic, Turkic, or Mongolic people)– 32 043 (11.2%) Uzbeks – 20,709 (7.2%) Russians – 6 443 (2.2%) Tatars – 646 (0.2%) Tourism In 2021, Keruen-Saray, Central Asia’s largest tourism complex, was opened in Turkistan. This unique attraction features merchants, artisans, a flying theater, an amphitheater for equestrian shows, a bazaar, hotels, restaurants, a spa & fitness center, a cinema, a family entertainment center, and more. Transport The city transport in Turkistan consists of buses and taxis. Turkistan is served