​   ​One of the key elements of Otyrar’s complex fortification system is the Zharakty Gate. The structure was built on a brick platform located outside the shakhristan wall. The platform stands 4.1 meters high. The defensive complex consisted of an outer gate, guard chambers, and an inner gate. 
    A deep moat was dug around the platform. In front of the outer gate, remnants of brick supports from a bridge crossing the moat have been preserved. During archaeological excavations, fragments of burnt bricks were discovered within the outer moat, along with traces of fire on the walls of the guardrooms. These findings serve as clear archaeological evidence that the gate was destroyed during military conflicts in Otyrar. 
   Excavations also revealed the remains of an earlier inner gate and a tower dating to the 11th–12th centuries, indicating that the foundation of the Zharakty complex was laid prior to the Mongol invasion. 
    The gate was destroyed during the Mongol conquest in the early 13th century but was rebuilt in the early 14th century. However, it was once again destroyed during the Dzungar invasion in the 17th century and ceased to function thereafter. 
   The name Zharakty is mentioned in Khoja Ahmed Yasawi’s “Diwani Hikmet”. It states that the tomb of the saint Arystanbab is located “to the qibla side of Kabug-i Yarug.” The Turkic term “Yarug” translates as “fortified gate,” corresponding in Kazakh to “Жарақты қақпа,” meaning “armed” or “well-fortified gate.” 
     The site was fully excavated during archaeological works conducted between 2007 and 2012 and was reconstructed in 2014.