East Turkestan Cities Between 1850-1950 In The Ligth of Travel Books

East Turkestan is one of the oldest settlements of Turks. The Huns, the Gokturks and the Uyghurs are the Turkish states dominated by the region. The lands of East Turkestan were included in the borders of the Chagatai Khanate after the Mongols, and the Chinese occupation began in 1750 and continued until 1862. During this period, there have been many rebellions in East Turkestan. Beginning from the second half of the XIX th century, Yakub Bey established a strong state when he compared the powerful states of the time, including the center of Kashgar. After entered the Chinese domination, the people of East Turkistan was restricted in all field. The efforts of to influence the region of Russia and Britain have made the condition even more complicated. Russia was disturbed by the Chinese dominance in East Turkestan, so every effort was made to influence the region. Britain was in close contact with East Turkestan because of its commercial interests in India. In this study, the administrative structure and socio-cultural life in East Turkestan cities were examined under the light of foreign and domestic research works, especially travel destinations. From the second half of the XIXth century to the first half of the XXth century, the travelers who visited East Turkistan gave information about the demographic structure and religious life in the cities. Nutrition cultures and education-teaching methods of the people of East Turkestan are other issues that have been discussed in travel books