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(Source: Legends, myths of East Kazakhstan – Semey: Arteks, 2018. – 122 p.)
More than three centuries ago, the territory of East Kazakhstan was captured by the Dzhungarian tribes. They tried to form a large nomadic empire there – the Dzhungarian Khanate. The Dzhungars sought not only to conquer these regions, known for their beauty far beyond the borders of Kazakhstan, but also to gain a firm foothold in them. To do this, they began to build their Buddhist temples and monasteries here. On the picturesque plain, the Dzhungarian khan Ablay built a real military fortress, which was named Ablaikit – in honor of the founder of Ablay (the word “Kit” meant a carefully fortified monastery). Inside, a Buddhist temple stood on a high bulk foundation. Its walls were made of white brick with a wooden top and a roof of glazed tiles of green and blue colors. In the middle of the temple there was a pedestal with a mysterious and beautiful statue of the Buddha, the size of a man, cast from pure gold. The guest rooms were bright and spacious, the walls were painted with frescoes, the floors were paved with stone slabs and covered with antique carpets made of Chinese silk. But Ablay himself and his retinue lived in felt yurts, because they preferred simplicity. Inside the fortification lay a small but deep lake that never dried up. The water in it looked black, but if you scooped it up, it was completely clean, crystal clear and pleasant to the taste. There were a lot of fish in the lake. Nearby, grass grew on the rock, capable of feeding large herds at any time of the year.
Taisha Ablay did not get involved in the internecine struggle of neighbors, but the rumor about the fabulously rich place spread throughout the neighborhood. One day another Dzhungarian khan Galdan approached the fortress, who decided to take possession of the tempting Ablaikit and its untold riches at all costs. The meeting of the two Taishi did not come out cordial. The sentinel warriors from the observation post noticed the attackers in time. A deep moat kept the enemies away from the fortress walls. The siege lasted for many days. Well-trained soldiers of the fortified fortress skillfully repelled the enemy’s attacks, but during the assault, on the orders of Ablai, the monks lowered and flooded a golden Buddha statue at the bottom of one of the mountain lakes. Some of the accumulated monastic treasures were hidden in deep cellars, some in the mountains and the Baukus cave, some were buried under the walls of the fortress and walled up in the walls themselves. Having failed to defeat the monks during the assault, the enemies bribed one of Ablai’s supporters. Having received the money, under the cover of night, the traitor opened one of the three fortress gates to the conquerors, where the security was not so strengthened. Ablaikit was captured, but Ablay and his men managed to hide in a deep niche in one of the walls of the fortress and disguised the entrance. At night, when everything was quiet and the vigilance of the guards was put to sleep, they managed to escape through a secret hole. The invaders never found the golden idol. In retaliation, they burned the dwellings of the monks. All the loot was taken out of there. And yet some manuscripts and ancient scrolls have survived. Europe first learned about the treasures of Buddhist literature thanks to the finds found here.
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