Otrar or Otyrar (Kazakh: Отырар [wotɤ̥ˈrɑr]; Old Turkic: 𐰚𐰭𐱃𐰺𐰢𐰣 / Keñü Tarman),[1] also called Farab, is a Central Asian ghost town that was a city located along the Silk Road in Kazakhstan.

Otrar was an important town in the history of Central Asia, situated on the borders of settled and agricultural civilizations.

It was the center of a great oasis and political district, commanding a key point connecting Kazakhstan with China, Europe, Near and Middle East, Siberia and Ural.

After being subject to several different waves of invaders, Kangju collapsed into several independent states situated mainly in the Syr Darya valley and its tributaries of Keles and Atysi.

It is thought that a group of coins collected in Otrar and some towns of the oasis date back to the time of these records.

There is a generic symbol of the Turgeshi in the form of a bow on the obverse of such coins and the image of a lion on the reverse side.

There is a suggestion that the coins of the second type were minted by rulers of the Turkic state of Kangu Tarban, the population of which were the Kangars.

Since the times of the golden hordes, the ruins of Otrar have been attractive because of rumours about the treasures of the ancient rulers, and about buried piles of gold coins and jewelry.

As before, Otrar remained the center of the district which occupied a space of "about one day's journey in all directions", which is many times mentioned by the chroniclers.

Otrar, being at the junction of the two great rivers, was the center of the large agricultural region and, being near the foothills of the Karatau Mountains, became one of the supporting fortresses of the nomads wandering in the steppes.

Another well known road ran through the Kyzylkum desert moving westward to Khorezm and on to the Volga region, the Black Sea and the Caucasus.

A person who first comes to the Otrar oasis is often surprised by the appearance of the numerous stark ruins of towns and settlements, castles and watchtowers.

The main irrigation channels are now crossed with dried fields and their cracked beds have not held water for centuries.

However, Otrar city rose again and during the troubled years of civil wars, which followed Genghis Khan's death, the town again became an important political and economic center.

[citation needed] The death of Timur led to more struggles, which resulted in Abu'l-Khayr Khan conquering several tribes and placing himself at the head of a new Uzbek Khanate.

The Ark (central fortress) and Shahristan (fortified city) formed a five-corner hill about 18 meters of height.