Taraz

One of Kazakhstan's oldest cities, Taraz has been a settlement for some two thousand years — a milestone UNESCO recognized in 2001 — and was a significant Silk Road trading hub when the Buddhist monk Xuanzang passed through in 629 CE. The 751 CE Battle of Talas, fought along the nearby Talas River between Tang dynasty and Abbasid forces, indirectly brought papermaking to the West. Today the city has a walkable centre with a good spread of cafés and restaurants, with mountains visible on the horizon.

• Population358,153
• Nearest water3.3 km
• Nearest mountain17.8 km
• UNESCO within 50 km2