Site of Karamergen

Karamergen was the largest and most northern medieval city of agricultural civilization in the ancient delta of the Ili river in the 9th – 13th centuries. City appeared in the lower fertile reaches of the ancient delta of Ili river – Shet-Bakanas, on the segment of the Silk Roads route.
The closest and convenient trade way from Zhetysu to the Eastern Turkestan to the territory of Central and Northern Kazakhstan passed through Karamergen. It was the most direct way. For example, the way from Almalyk (Kuldja) to Bozok (near modern Astana) through Karamergen was not less than 3000 km and any other was longer to 500-1000 km.
Karamergen served as an important transit point of Balkhash section of the Silk Road leading to Central Kazakhstan, and thence to Eastern Europe.

See more - http://www.silkroads.org.cn/article_1128_1.html