Excluding the life in the summer pasture that was required in the summer months, the ancient Turks would build houses in order to take shelter in the winters. According to the Chinese resources that stated that the Asian Huns built buildings for sacrifices, the Gokturk rulers had some robust centres (in the inscriptions: ev, bark= household).
Actually, the Turkish rulers would have two centres. One of them would be in summer pastures while the other would be in the valleys and near the banks of streams. The latter one was composed of the residential places that consisted of houses.
Cugaykuzu (summer residence) and Karakum (winter residence) pertaining to Ilteriş, in Akdağ (summer residence) and near Isık Lake (winter residence) pertaining to Istemi, Tokmak (winter residence) pertaining to Tong-Yabgu, etc. It is possible that the winter capital city of the 2nd Gokturk State was in the form of a city located in the place that was stated within the Orhun inscriptions. As a matter of fact, it would not be appropriate to construct these keepsakes that we know well with their characteristics in the wild and remote summits of mountains and in deserted places.
Furthermore, Amga-Kurgan (Amga-Sepulchre) that was one of the residential places cited within the Orhun inscriptions was a castle. However, Togubalık must have probably been a city. There are some ruins of the city of Ordu-balık (near Kara-balasagun) that was founded by Uighur people (in the period of Mo-yençur, 747-759). We have mentioned about the cities of Belencer and Semender pertaining to Khazar people. The Islamic resources had provided detailed information about the capital city of Idyll-Hanbalik. The ruins of the famous city of Bulgar that was the capital city of Idyll Bulgarians had been found. Especially two cities are famous with their palaces and water system installations among the Danube Bulgarians State. Pliska and Preslav. However, there are not any traces and ruins of Bey-balik that was an Uighur town and the cities of the Eastern Gokturk people.
The reason for this lack could probably be explained with the word of "balik" with the meaning of city in the ancient Turkish language. This word had the actual meaning of wet clay (mud). Therefore, the buildings in the cities that the Turks founded were mostly made from mud (sun-dried bricks) and they were not built with stones. Or any importance was not attached to these buildings that were only used for a half of the year. The Chinese resources had indicated that the Asian Huns had built their houses from "forged clay". Furthermore, there are some proofs that show that the ancient Turks preferred to build wooden houses. The houses of the Khazar people and Volga Bulgarians were wooden houses (only the ruler's palace in Idyll and the castle of Şarkel were constructed from stone and bricks).
Turks would also built the city walls mostly from thick wooden blocks (in the type of hedges). Attila's capital city in the Central Hungary, small and large palaces, the houses of the people, the military garrisons, and the ammunition and provisions stores were composed of totally wooden buildings. Priskos had mentioned about the palaces of Attila and his wife that were divided into sections and halls that were covered with silver and golden plates and ornamented with wooden engraved designs, the tables, chairs and cupboards, etc. He also mentioned about the bath that was said to have been constructed by the Roman masters. On this occasion, we should state that bathing was a widespread habit among the Turks from of old. Actually, it was believed that water that was considered as holy would clear off the human being from the sins.
The records within the Chinese records that stated that any cloth would not be taken off unless it was totally worn out in some of the Turkish tribes could be considered as an exaggeration. This situation was essentially impossible since the same resources stated that the members of the Hun tribe would take a bath for three dimes a day. Idyll Bulgarians and Khazar people had public baths. The Danube Bulgarians had applied to the Pope Nikolaus I after two years pursuant to the adoption of Christianity (in the year of 866) and they complained about the prohibition of taking bath for more than twice in a week (Wednesday, Friday) that was imposed by the priests. The public bath that the Priskos had dealt with was the witness of the same tradition. There were not only public baths for the civil people, but also some mobile baths (Çerge) for the armies among the ancient Turks. This procedure was borrowed from the Seljuk State into the Byzantine.
The ancient Turks had rarely constructed some cities surrounded with city walls. For example; the capital city of the Hun tan-hu (ruler) Çi-çi that was demolished by the Chinese in the year of 36 BC was such a city with city walls. Furthermore, the Hun people had founded a city named as Gu-tsang in Kan-su. The city of Idyll had a city wall with 4 doors. However, the Turks had generally disliked the closed cities that were surrounded with city walls from each direction (words of Tonyukuk). Actually, this was required by the lifestyles that they considered as natural for them. The proposal of Bilge Kagan (Ruler) for the foundation of cities in the country like the Chinese people shall not be interpreted as the desire towards the step "from the nomadic life to the settled life" among the Turks.
According to all the documents obtained, the Gokturk people were proud of their own cultures. Therefore, the Gokturk people did not have any intention to adopt a foreign culture that we consider as a superior culture today under the influence of the Western civilisation. Otherwise, the Turks could have adopted it before centuries. The Turkish cities that have been described above were not the outputs of the emulation towards the "settled" lifestyle.
Actually, a city could not be found only upon the desires. Therefore, it was required to have a concentrated agriculture and thus, the organisation of the villagers in order to found a city. However, the settlement in the form of village groups that was obligatory for the foundation of any state in any region was not observed among the Turks as required by their lifestyles. This issue was particularly emphasised for Pecenek, Oguz, Khazar peoples and the Idyll Bulgarians. Nevertheless, the castles and citadels in the military form like those stated above were present among the Turks.
For example, the castles of Çargelan, Çumpal, Caldıvar, Atbaş, Sırdakbeg (orKuyungar-baş), Manakeldi, etc. whose ruins are still observed were arranged in order within the environs of Tandi Mountains and mostly the Isik Lake in the period of the Gokturk State. These regions were the important fortified sites in strategic aspects and in respect of trade since they were located over the Silk Road. There were several castles and bastions similar to those stated above that had military characteristics in the regions where the ruins of the Gokturk State can still be seen in Pençikent within Ferghana. The citadels of Aspara, Kayında, Şiş-tübe, Ak-su, Ak-tepe, Tölek, Sukuluk, Cul (or Cil-arık), Çumuş, Sarığ, Yakalığ and several caravan inns and small towns were either built by Karluk people or constructed and developed in the period of the Gokturk State and given much importance in the period of Karluk State. The castle of Şarkel was constructed for defence in the Khazar State.
The cities of Pliska and Preslav pertaining to the Danube Bulgarians were essentially castles. We have mentioned about the importantance of the Idyll and Bulgarian cities in respect of the trade. Like these cities, several Oguz cities including the cities of Karacuk, Sütkent, Altun-tepe, Yengikent, Çuy-tepe, Savran, sayram, Karnak, Kurıkul-tepe, Cend, Suğnak, İşkan, Çardarı, Bayır-kum, etc. were founded in the 10th century. Similarly, they were the active in respect of the trade that were located on the trade routes. Actually, the issue of trade was a line of policy that the Steppe Turkish State attached great importance to.