Sights of Kazakhstan: natural and man-made

Kazakhstan is one of the post-Soviet countries,located in the northwestern part of Asia. The common border of this state with Russia extends from the Caspian Sea to the Altai Republic. The entire territory of the country is steppe. You can get to Kazakhstan by plane, train, bus from the border regions or by private car. When you hear the phrase "sights of Kazakhstan", Lake Balkhash comes to mind (Fig. 1). The uniqueness of this reservoir is that one part of it is with fresh water, and the other - with salty sea water. The lake occupies a huge territory, in some places its depth reaches 27 m. It is known not only in the territory of the republics of the former USSR, but also in Europe, every year both Kazakhs and tourists from other countries relax on its shores, in hotels and in tents. But this is far from the only interesting place in this large steppe country. Kazakhstan has unique natural areas and man-made historical and modern monuments that deserve the attention of tourists.

Natural sights of Kazakhstan

Nature is a wonderful artist andsculptor, she created amazing places on our planet, including in Kazakhstan. In addition to Lake Balkhash, which has already been mentioned, there are other unusual bodies of water on the territory of the country. For example, Lake Issyk (2), Bolshoe Almatinskoe (3), Borovoe. Issyk is a mountain reservoir located 70 km from the city of Almaty. Until 1963, it was one of the favorite vacation spots for local residents and guests of the state. But in 1963, a tragedy occurred on the lake: a powerful mudflow came down from the mountains, destroying the dam and killing many people. After that, the lake became very shallow, the surrounding landscape changed. Now people still go to Lake Issyk for vacation, but the tragedy has remained in the memory of the Kazakhs forever. Bolshoe Almatinskoe is located high in the mountains at an altitude of 2.5 km above sea level. The water area of the reservoir is surrounded by forests and mountains covered with snow, the color of the water is rich turquoise. Most tourists come there to climb the mountains. The most famous peaks near the lake are: Sovetsky, Ozerny, Turist. Borovoe is an area in Kazakhstan between the cities of Astana and Kokshetau, where several lakes are located: Shchuchye, Borovoe, Kotyrkol, Svetloe, Gornoe and others. In addition to lakes, Kazakhstan has other wonderful natural monuments. These include various national parks and reserves: Aksu-Dzhabagly - the oldest reserve in the country, Altyn-Emel, Bayanaul, Naurzum Reserve. In the Altyn-Emel Nature Park there is a famous singing dune, when the wind blows in dry weather, the grains of sand make sounds similar to the sound of an organ. The uniqueness of the Naurzum Nature Reserve lies in the plants that grow only on its territory.

Man-made sights of Kazakhstan

There are several monuments throughout the country.history. The most famous of them are burial mounds with ancient burials, for example, Bes-Shatyr or Issyk. Lovers of antiquities can also visit the city of Turkestan, founded in the 5th century, the Great Silk Road passed through it. The city has preserved ancient fortress walls (4). Another ancient city is located next to it - Sauran. Modern attractions of the state include the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation in the form of a pyramid (5), the Khan-Shatyr shopping center in Astana - the capital of Kazakhstan, the Astana-Baiterek monument (6), a reduced map of the country - Atakemen (7), etc. Kazakhstan is a modern state, rich in natural and man-made monuments, every Kazakh should be proud of them and take care of them.