Wonders of Kazakhstan

30/01/2024

Kazakh proverbs on Motherland

31/12/2023

As we bid farewell to the old year and embrace the new, we extend our warmest congratulations the cherished subscribers and followers of ‘Wonders of Kazakhstan’. Your unwavering support has been the driving force behind our commitment to showcasing the breathtaking beauty and cultural richness of Kazakhstan.

As we step into the promising year of 2024, we eagerly anticipate embarking on new adventures and creating unforgettable memories with each and every one of you. Almaty, with its majestic landscapes, vibrant traditions, and warm hospitality, awaits your exploration.

May the coming year be filled with joy, discovery, and prosperity. We are excited to continue our journey together, unveiling the wonders of Kazakhstan and creating experiences that will linger in your hearts for a lifetime.

Thank you for choosing "Wonders of Kazakhstan." Here's to a fantastic 2024 filled with awe-inspiring moments and the magic in the heart of Eurasia!

17/12/2023

Learn Kazakh with

24/08/2023

How do name the of the day? (part 2)

28/07/2023

Sharing some moments of the Grand Almaty city tour. Definite highlights were the yaks in wild at 3200 elevation and of course a never disappointing birds of prey show. The tour ended up with a nice dinner at Kok Tobe hill with a beautiful view to city, mountains under the sunset.

02/07/2023

A beautiful tour to the attitude lakes Kolsai and Kaindy in Almaty region takes almost 16 hours. The driving time takes about 10 hours, not counting the 12 km off-road to Kaindy lake. The tour is highly recommended for everyone visiting Almaty, if you wish to see the one of a kind sunken pine forest, do adventurous horse riding, try local horse milk, and take a boat ride in a lake surrounded by high snow peaks.

24/05/2023

How do Kazakhs name the time of day?

29/04/2023

Kazakh traditional dance “Qara Zhorga” or “Black ambler” got popular in Kazakhstan in 2010. The song tells a story about a jigit (a young Kazakh man) who caught and saddled a wild horse. This horse turned out to be the black ambler. Upon return to his village, jigit demonstrates his happiness by dancing. His folks greet this lucky and tricky fellow!
Some sources tell that this dance comes from Kazakh tribe “Kerei”, that used to reside in the Altai region of Xinjiang.

06/04/2023

Kazakh ornaments typically have deep cultural and historical significance. They are often rich in symbolism and are derived from traditional Kazakh practices and beliefs. Some common motifs include geometric patterns, floral designs, and stylized animals.

For example, the tulip flower is a frequent motif in Kazakh ornaments, symbolizing love, purity, and beauty. The star, the moon, and the sun are also commonly used in decorations, representing the cosmos and the unity of the universe. The dragon, the horse, and the eagle are often depicted as symbols of strength, agility, and freedom.

Kazakh ornaments are usually created through embroidery, weaving, carving, or painting techniques. They are often used to decorate clothing, home textiles, furniture, and even musical instruments. Each region of Kazakhstan has its own unique ornamentation style, with variations in color, pattern, and technique.

In addition to their aesthetic value, Kazakh ornaments represent the country's rich cultural heritage and traditions. They are significant artifacts that connect the present with the past, and they help preserve and celebrate the cultural identity of the Kazakh people.

28/02/2023

The Relict Gull (Larus relictus) is a relict of the Tertiary period. It is believed to be an inhabitant of the ancient Tethys Sea, which existed in the Mesozoic between the continents of Gondwana and Laurasia. Currently, three subpopulations are located in the Alakol Lake and Balhash Lake in Kazakhstan, Tatsain Tsagaan Nuur in Mongolia, and the Torey Lake in the Chita Region of Eastern Russia. The Relict Gull is recognized as a vulnerable species, with a worldwide population of about 10,000 individuals. And it is one of the least-known birds. UNESCO designated the Alakol Biosphere Reserve https://goo.gl/maps/uFrBa54xkguPj8vu9 as part of its Man and Biosphere Program in 2013.

Sources:
https://siberiansteppes.com/2022/09/10/tourist-threat-to-the-relict-gull-on-lake-alakol/
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228750625_Seasonal_changes_in_the_number_of_Relict_Gull_Larus_relictus_at_Ebinur_Lake_Western_China/figures?lo=1
https://web-zoopark.ru/ptitsi/chajka_reliktovaya.html

21/01/2023

Qurt is a traditional Kazakh snack made by drying fermented milk and adding salt. Kazakh used to eat this rich in protein dairy product in winter when no milk was available. There are around 20 qurt varieties known today. It can be stored for years.
Ethnographer and translator Shagimardan Ibragimov notes, "It is such a unique product that saved Kazakhs from the famine.
One of the best-known stories about qurt took place in ALZHIR (Akmolinsk camp for wives of traitors,1938-1953) https://goo.gl/maps/ZXRoez55DZkU54um8 . According to a story told by one of the camp's German prisoners, Gertrude Plaitas, locals were throwing rocks out of malice at the starving, exhausted women. So the guards didn't stop them. Later, the prisoners realized that these rocks were edible, actually qurt, which helped them to survive another day.


A recipe of the qurt https://cookingcounty.com/kazakh-kurt/
Sources:
• Qurt: A Kazakh "cheese of resilience" https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20210426-qurt-a-kazakh-cheese-of-resilience
• Kurt - traditional Kazakh snack made from dried salty cheese. http://sayat.kz/tproduct/1-837617897911-kurt-traditional-kazakh-snack-made-from
• Алжир»- Акмолинский лагерь жен изменников родины (ALZHIR – Akmola camp for wives of traitors) https://pulse.mail.ru/article/alzhir-akmolinskij-lager-zhen-izmennikov-rodiny-7333020635942084415-3153308779328723792 / (In Russian)
• Курт — продукт традиционный и современный (Qurt – traditional and modern) https://articlekz.com/article/6526 (in Russian)

29/12/2022

Strong family ties are very important for Kazakhs. This picture demonstrates the title, significance, and position of every relative in a big Kazakh family.
Source: Kanat Tasibekov "Situational Kazakh"
A proverb says: "If you wish to remember your childhood, visit your mother's relatives (nagashy), if you wish to remember your youth, visit your wife's relatives (kainy)".

24/11/2022

One of the strongest teams wasn't able to give a correct answer to a question addressed by a Kazakh fellow n at the Intellectual show "What Where When"
-What's the reason askakals (respected old men) could send one boy to herd horses and another one to herd sheep?
-A calm one was sent to herd horses, and a hot-tempered one- to herd sheep
- Why? to balance their temperament
-

27/10/2022

Some interesting facts about Kazakh vocabulary

Sources: "Kazakh vocabulary is 2,5 mln words" (2018) Available at https://yvision.kz/post/805540 [In Russian]
G. Belger (2009), "A Kazakh Word" Available at https://titus.kz/?previd=11577&start=270 [In Russian]

23/09/2022

Ancient maps of Kazakh state: Mukhit-Ardager Sydyknazarov, a head of the Institute of Modern Studies at the Gumilyov Eurasian National University, spent 15 years collecting 300 ancient maps depicting the Kazakh state from all over the world.
The book presenting 130 medieval maps of the Kazakh state (from 1562 to 1879) was published in Kazakh, English, and Russian as a result of his long-term research.
The ancient maps had illustrations of the Kazakhs. A fragment of a map from 1562 demonstrates a Kazakh woman wearing a traditional kimeeshek or shawl, feeding her child next to the yurts. There are also illustrations showing Kazakh Muslims praying, an eagle hunter, and some battle scenes.
American cartographers marked the borders of the Land of Free Turks: the Russian Empire in the north, with the Khiva and Kokand khanates in the south, and China in the east. The borders of three Kazakh zhuzes were highlighted as well:
• Senior zhuz (the Kazakh Great Horde)
• Middle zhuz (Kazakh Middle Horde)
• Junior zhuz (the Kazakh Minor Horde)

Endonym of the Kazakh state at the ancient maps: “Calzag”, “Cassachi”, “Cassachios”, “Cassaci”, “Cassacki”, “Cassacky”, “Cassak”, “Caßakia”, “Cassaky”, “Cassaqy”, “Cassaсcia Horda”, “Cassaсkia”, “Casatshi”, “Cazalgites”, “Chalzag Stati del Tartaro”, “Chalzag”, “Chalzak”, “Chazalgites”, “Cosaccorum”, “Coßaqorum Horda”, “Cosacki”, “Cosaki”, “Cosaq”, “Cosaques Errans”, “Cosaski”, “Gazitae Chanaaket” (Қазақ Хандығы, Казахское Ханство), “Gazitae”, “Hacsaxa”, “Independent Kassaks”, “Independent Tartars”, “Independent Tartary”, “Independent Turkestan”, “Kaisaken”, “Kaisaks”, “Kaissaken”, “Kaissaks”, “Kaizaken”, “Kalzag”, “Karsak”, “Kasacha”, “Kasacсia Horda”, “Kasake”, “Kasakhe”, “Kasakhi”, “Kasaki Tartares”, “Kasaki”, “Kasaki Tartari”, “Kasakia”, etc.

Sources: https://www.caravan.kz/gazeta/kak-vyglyadelo-kazakhskoe-gosudarstvo-v-techenie-600-let-na-starinnykh-kartakh-mira-868205/
Mukhit-Ardager Sydyknazarov. History of Nationhood in Kazakhstan. The Kazakh State on European and American Maps of the XVI-XIX Centuries. - Brussels, 2021. - 532 pages.
Pictures credit: https://www.instagram.com/the_kazakh_state_on_old_maps/

25/08/2022

Visiting Almaty and wish to learn and taste as much local seasonal produce as possible? Not sure where it can be purchased or simply taken out of a tree? Find out information on the history of Central Asian fruits and vegetables as well as their markets via Specialty Produce https://www.specialtyproduce.com/

21/07/2022

Between 1998 and 1999, an international team of archeologists conducted several Kurgan archeological excavations in Altai, East Kazakhstan https://goo.gl/maps/hxQD89zywY3PZrAw8 . Berel cemetery, situated in a valley at an altitude of 1,200 meters, consists of about thirty Kurgans. The described Kurgan consists of a stone mound with a diameter of 18.3 meters, covering a funeral chamber 4 meters deep, and 3x4 meters wide dated IV century BC.

Most of the time, the burials were in an ice "thermos" created by humans. The stones in the mound were placed in a certain order, so that there was a void between the stones, which was filled with water. It froze and even in positive temperatures, the permafrost preserved the remains in good condition.

The tomb contains a rectangular funerary chamber made of planks and covered in birch bark and bush branches. In this sarcophagus, the remains of a man and a woman were found. Outside the chamber, on the north side, lying below layers of birch bark, thirteen harnessed and saddled horses were unearthed, some of which bore fake horns of golden wood or a wooden sculptured griffin on the forehead. Furthermore, the animal bodies displayed motifs depicting feline, deer, mountain sheep or griffin heads, plated with gold or tin. it is possible to observe round-shaped traces, indicating perforation of the animal’s forehead. Horses had been slain in this manner: i.e., by a blow to the top of the, strong enough to fracture and pierce the bone.

Explore the treasures of the country with

Sources:
Lepetz, S. (2013). Horse Sacrifice In A Pazyryk Culture Kurgan: the Princely Tomb Of Berel’(kazakhstan). selection Criteria And Slaughter Procedures. Anthropozoologica, 48(2). https://doi.org/10.5252/az2013n2a9
https://yvision.kz/post/806305
https://esquire.kz/kurgan-altay/
https://mayak-parnasa.livejournal.com/1166760.html
http://bibliotekar.kz/chitat-knigu-onlain-istorija-za-6-klass/3-berelskii-mogilnik.html
https://kazpravda.kz/n/berel-kolybel-chelovecheskoy-tsivilizatsii/

22/06/2022

Over 95% of world population of Saiga antelope is concentrated in Kazakhstan, making it over 1 mln species.

These unusual animals have an enormous hump on their nose and have lived on our planet for so long that they even saw mammoths. When they run in a herd, saigas kick up a lot of dust, but their bulbous noses allow them to breathe freely even when the air is filled with dust. The secret is that their noses are lined with hair inside, which filters the air. But the sad fact is that they are endangered species and the main reason is people hunting them for their horns. In traditional Chinese medicine, it is believed that saiga horns can help treat a variety of ailments, from headaches to seizures.

Attempts to domesticate the saiga have failed miserably—unlike deer or bison, they need to be out in the open and constantly on the move.
The murals in Almaty and Qaragandy are devoted a Kazakh huntsman Yerlan Nurgaliyev who was beaten to death by poachers in 2019 while protecting the saiga herds.

PS. Saigaks is a word the locals use to call the death wish pedestrians

Sources: https://phys.org/news/2022-05-rare-saiga-antelope-population-million.html
https://medium.com/wwfhk-e/species-for-sale-saiga-antelope-e8b26df4b632
https://madrascourier.com/environment/the-critically-endangered-saiga-antelope-is-making-a-comeback/
https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/rare-saiga-antelope-population-now-over-a-million-in-kazakhstan-174237
https://www.rbth.com/travel/334790-saiga-steppe-antelope-facts

23/05/2022

Sun headed divines dated Bronze age are depicted on the rocks in Kazakhstan, Australia and North America.
Book a tour to one of the biggest in the world Tamgaly petroglyphs UNESCO heritage site with Wonders of Kazakhstan to learn the ancient art of people who saw the rocks carvings as the source of knowledge and spiritual wisdom.

1st line Left to right - Kazakhstan, Australia
2nd line - Canada, Australia

17/04/2022

Nauryz celebration starts on March 21, on a day of the spring equinox and lasts for a month. People gather together and celebrate the end of a cold season and renewal of nature, with singing, dancing, playing folk games. Must-served dish during for this holiday is Nauryz-kozhe (a soup cooked of 7 ingredients). Kazakhs believe if you eat Nauryz kozhe, the year will be abundant and successful.
Travel to Kazakhstan during this holiday and experience local culture and traditions at every corner of the country!

03/04/2022

This Aport Apple was collected in fall 2021 and is the biggest one in 10 years as local farmers say (820 grams).
The historical records of the early 20th century mention 1,2 kg Aport apple.

17/03/2022

The most popular landmark next to Almaty is the Big Almaty Lake. https://goo.gl/maps/gzSJofXbkUswxhe38 Currently, due to a dam construction, access to the lake by car is limited and opened for 2 hours only (1 hour in early morning and 1 hour in the afternoon). The best months to visit the lake are late April and May as well as October, when water color is turquoise.
Book the tour to the lake http://wondersofkazakhstan.kz/Big-Almaty-lake/ to learn the history and geography of the lake, its significance to the city, and many more stories along the way.

07/02/2022

Meaningful phrases in Kazakh

15/01/2022

Kazakhstan has celebrated its 30 years independence on December 16th. In less than a month, January 3rd 2022, the uprisings started all around the country and lasted for almost 5 days. Almaty became the most affected city. A trigger for the uprising was a 2 fold increase of gas price. Other reasons are the high level of corruption, absence of transparency, low level of trust to the government and a big gap between rich and poor. I am glad these terrible days on January are behind. Peace and stability to everyone!

Picture depicts a burned building of the City hall in the background

25/12/2021

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Wonders of Kazakhstan!
Safe and interesting travels in 2022!

09/12/2021

The literal translation of the word "Ainalaiyn" sounds like "circling around you”. It is associated with the ancient shamanic custom of making circles around a sick person to take over his illness. The shaman was able to take the disease and later drive it away. But sometimes fathers and mothers did it: by circling around the yurt with a sick child inside, the parents wanted to take the illness away. It was a kind of sacrifice. Thus, the meaning of the word "aynalaiyn" implies that I "whirl around you", thereby taking away all the bad things from you.
"Aynalaiyn" means care and tenderness and is a pure expression of love.
Does your culture have words with similar meaning?

23/10/2021

Tour to Issyk lake is one of the most popular tours in fall. The tour highlights are the museum of Golden Man, Saka Burial mounds of 6-2 century BC, apple gardens, a trout farm, and, of course the beautiful lake Issyk with rich and interesting history.

https://youtu.be/2nSFzMr_g7w

11/10/2021

"Wonders of Kazakhstan" filmed a video devoted to one of the elements of the Silk Road. This video won the joint UNESCO & WFTGA video competition: 'Silk Roads Through the Eyes of Expert Tourist Guides'.

Talgar (Talkhiz) is a medieval city located 40 km east from Almaty, along the Silk Road https://goo.gl/maps/nG3SdGYmuaVg1M3L6 . Talkhiz in the Middle Ages was a prominent trading center and was also known as a melting pot of various faiths, including Nestorianism, Buddhism, and Islam.
https://youtu.be/0pNOgXgU5XU

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CUUb2UhgFpn/?utm_medium=copy_link

Talgar, known as Talhiz in the Middle Ages, was a prominent trading center: objects found here originated in China, India, Iran, and Japan. Talhiz was a melt...

23/09/2021

After whom the streets of Almaty are named? Lets explore some interesting facts!

25/08/2021

What else Kazakhstan is famous of? A wide variety of melons and watermelons! They are grown in South Kazakhstan, next to the border of Uzbekistan. Sunny days, fertile land, experienced farmers are the key factors for their perfect taste! Visit Almaty in August to try the natural flavors of summer in Kazakhstan!