Almaty and Almaty Region Tour Guide -
Eco Tourism in Kazakhstan -
Almaty Region is a region bordering the large city of Almaty, from which the name comes. Although the province completely surrounds the city, it is not part of the administrative unit, but is an independent district. The capital of the region and the administrative center is the city of Konayev (Kapchagay). The region borders Kyrgyzstan and the Chinese Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. It also borders three other Kazakh regions: Zhambyl to the west, Zhetysu to the east, and Karaganda to the north. Lake Balkhash occupies part of the region in the northwest.
Natural Attractions -
Almaty Region is rich in various natural and architectural attractions. Among the main natural attractions in the Almaty area, it is worth highlighting Kolsay Lake and Kolsay National Park, people come here on a one-day excursion, and the famous Kaindy Lake is nearby. Also of interest is the Charyn Canyon with the Valley of Castles and the Charyn River in the Charyn Nature Reserve. These two parks are usually visited on a 2-day tour with an overnight stay in guest houses on Kolsay Lake. Within the city of Almaty, there are also natural parks and reserves that can be visited from Almaty during the day, for example, the Ile-Alatau Nature Reserve, which includes such mountain gorges as the Big Almaty Gorge and the Small Almaty Gorge. In the Big Almaty Gorge is the famous Big Almaty Lake (BAL), which is accessible only on foot and leads to a picturesque mountain route open all year round. In the Small Almaty Gorge, you can visit the high-mountain base Chimbulak, which is reached by the Chimublak-Medeo cable car, which takes you to the Bolshoy Talgarsky mountain pass located high in the mountains. In winter, you can ski here.
The Tambaly petroglyphs in Zhetysu are listed by UNESCO as a valuable heritage of humanity. There are over 4,500 petroglyphs depicting various animals and gods located 180 kilometers northwest of Almaty. Ancient artists depicted various characters, animals and mythological scenes. Petroglyphs served to convey important information and were considered a sacred place for prayers and rituals.
The petroglyphs on the Ili River depict Buddhist deities are of great interest and serve as a place of pilgrimage in the Altyn-Emel Nature Reserve. Buddhism was brought here by missionaries. At the top of the gorge there is a red stone cliff with three different figures: a four-armed Buddha in the lotus position, with two more deities depicted on either side of the Buddha, and there are also inscriptions in Sanskrit.
The Besshatyr mounds in the Altyn-Emel National Nature Park and Reserve are ancient burial sites and consist of 31 mounds. The largest of them is 108 m in diameter and 17 m high. The mounds are limited to groups of seven stones (menhirs) installed vertically and horizontally.
The Singing Dune in the Altyn-Emel Reserve attracts visitors from all over the world, and this fantastic phenomenon still amazes people with its sound and vibrations. In order for the dune to start making a sound, it is necessary to run from the dune to it, the grains of sand begin to rub against each other and a low vibrating sound appears, which is called the voice of the Singing Dune.
Aksu-Zhabagilinsky Reserve is the only reserve in Central Asia protected by UNESCO. For more than 70 years, mountain forests have not been cut down, and the vegetation has not been polluted by industrial waste. The Greig tulip was chosen as the symbol of the reserve. The nature of the Aksu canyon is unique - the length of the giant Aksu canyon is 15 km, the depth is 500 m, along its bottom flows the beautiful mountain river Aksu. The richness and diversity of the nature of the reserve includes about 1200 species of plants, 42 species of animals and 238 species of birds.
Turgen Gorge is one of the tourist attractions of the Almaty region, located in a beautiful gorge on the territory of the Ile-Alatau National Park. There is a Medvezhiy waterfall here, the height of which is 30 meters. If we move up the gorge, we will reach the high-mountain Assy plateau, on which the high-mountain astronomical observatory Assy-Turgen is located, from which you can observe the starry sky at night.
Flora and Fauna -
The nature of the Almaty region is special due to the diversity of geographical zones from desert to eternal ice in the mountains. In the foothills and on the mountain slopes grow a variety of plants, grasses and trees, hundreds of animal species live, including the snow leopard listed in the Red Book. In the lower mountain belt, green deciduous forests predominate, in the floodplains, fruit orchards bloom (especially apple trees). The fauna of the region is very diverse, here you can meet hares, squirrels, badgers and even brown bears. In the highlands live mountain goats, deer. There are many birds in the forests: waxwings, owls, mountain jackdaws, partridges and pheasants.
History -
Alma-Ata region, the predecessor of the current Almaty region, was created on the basis of the historical region of Zhetysu on March 10, 1932. Its capital was Almaty (Alma-Ata). During the Soviet period, the northeastern part of the region with its center in Taldykorgan was separated from the rest. In April 2001, the administrative center of the region was moved from Almaty to Taldykorgan.
Geology -
The mountains of the region originate in the Tien Shan mountain system and are formed by layers of Precambrian crystalline schist-stone rocks. There are also conglomerates, tuffs, limestones, granites, etc. Paleozoic rocks are widespread. The foothills and mid-mountain areas of the region are formed by Pleistocene and anthropogenic deposits. The period of the first formation of mountains in the region is closely associated with the Hercynian fold. In subsequent periods, these mountains gradually eroded and a hilly plain (peneplain) was formed. At the beginning of the Pleistocene, the region, which turned into a peneplain during the Alpine folding period, formed ordinary mountains as a result of tectonic processes. Tectonic processes continue here to this day. Periodic earthquakes are a clear confirmation of this. The mineral resources are dominated by polymetal (Tekeli), tungsten (Buguty), significant reserves of molybdenum, porcelain stones (Kapshagay), barite, bentonite clay (Aksu, Alakol districts), refractory clays, quartz sand, gypsum, hard and brown coal (Oykaragay, Tyshkanbay), there are peat, salt deposits and mineral underground waters.
Climate -
The climate of the Almaty region is predominantly continental. Winter is moderate and cold. The average January temperature is 10-16 ° C in the northern part of the plain, 4-9 ° C in the south. Summer is hot and dry. The average July temperature is 25 ° C in the north and 27 ° C in the south. The average annual precipitation in these flat areas is 110-250 mm. The climate of the mountain slopes is mild. The average temperature in January is 5-9°C, it is often warm. The average temperature in July on the slopes is 21-23°C, in the mountain valleys 19-22°C. Precipitation is 400-600 mm on the mountain slopes, 700-1000 mm in the mountain valleys. Precipitation in the region mainly falls in spring and early summer. The average thickness of snow cover on the plains and slopes of the region is 10-30 cm, on the mountain slopes - 40-100 cm. Strong winds periodically blow on the shores of Balkhash and Alakol.
Economy -
The economic potential of the Almaty region consists of a diversified industry, agriculture, transport and communication and trade structures. In industry - electric power industry (39.9%), mechanical engineering and metalworking (6.5%), construction materials industry (6.2%), food industry (38.2%), flour-milling, cereals and feed industry. The feed industry (5.5%) is well developed. Light and woodworking industries have been created in the region. At the same time, beet, potato, vegetable, garden and grape farms have been particularly developed. In addition, there are livestock, poultry farms, farms for the production of honey, milk and kumys. Carp, pike, flounder and perch are caught in the lakes Balkhash and Alakol. Almaty region has trade relations with about forty countries in Europe, Asia and America. Exported products include raw leather, wool, batteries, non-ferrous metals.
Archaeological direction and orientation to Zhetysu -
Zhetysu (Almaty region) is one of the most favorable places for the development of tourism in the territory, which has various cultural and historical monuments. In Zhetysu, in one day you can visit all the natural zones from deserts to the mountains of the Zailiyskiy Alatau. Near Almaty there are a number of historical and cultural monuments. These are the first multifaceted and diverse architectural monuments: Ili mounds and gold jewelry of the Saks, medieval cities on the Great Silk Road, mountain drawings (petroglyphs) of the Bronze Age. Traces of the presence of ancient people in the form of stone products have been preserved here. Several Bronze Age settlements have been excavated in Zhetysu. These are adobe houses and dugouts with walls 1-2 m deep, made of stone mixed with clay. Similar excavations were discovered in the Turgen Gorge (12th-10th centuries) and along the Koksu River (10th-9th centuries, settlements of Kuigan and Talap).
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