A general historical picture of the emergence and development of irrigation of the Otrar oasis and the foothills of Karatau is given. The scale and dynamics of the development of irrigated agriculture and irrigation equipment at different stages of the Middle Ages are shown. There is a dependence of the size and configuration of irrigation structures on the relief, climate and hydrography of high-altitude zones - mountains, foothills and plains. The factual material set forth in the book will provide practical assistance in planning reclamation work in the south of Kazakhstan. The book is designed for specialists - historians, archaeologists.