In the Sozak district of the Turkestan region, part of the unique medieval tower ‘Akbikesh’, which was built in the 12th-13th centuries, has collapsed. 
According to ‘Kazinform’ news agency, part of the historical monument collapsed due to rain and meltwater. Public figure Zhilbeuk Kerimbek stated that activists had previously warned about the danger of the dilapidated roof collapsing.
‘No one listened to us. As a result, part of the monument collapsed from rain and meltwater. It had also deteriorated before. The internal plaster and decoration are disappearing more and more each time. The repair of the “Akbikesh” tower in the village of Aksumbe, Sozak district, Turkestan region, was carried out by the Kazrestoration institution of the Republican State Enterprise “Kazkaizhangartu”’, the statement reads.
In turn, the situation was commented on by Kazakh cultural figure Toregali Tashenov.
‘Because the roof was left open, the monument was destroyed by snow and rain. When the outer fence collapsed, it took down with it a remarkable monument that had stood for six centuries, a historic tower under state protection. This is terrible. Could the tower have lasted 100 years without repairs?’ — Tashenov questioned.
At the same time, the akimat of the Sozak district sent a letter to the regional department of culture to report on the current condition of the historical monument.
‘In 2020, restoration work on the tower was carried out by the Kyzylorda branch of the state institution “Kazrestoration”. The client was the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan. On 25–26 January 2025, part of the tower collapsed again due to bad weather. The district akim promptly sent an urgent letter to the regional department of culture about the current state of the historical relic’, the statement from the akimat reads.