Akyrtas was first mentioned in the diary of the Taoist monk Chan Chun, who traveled from China through Sairam to Samarkand in 1222 to the Genghis Khan camp. Here is what is reported in his diary: “On the road we came across a stone settlement: the stones are completely red; there are traces of an ancient military camp. In the west there are large grave mounds located like stars in Ursa Major