Shergala (Sherkala) is a lonely standing mountain of unusual shape, located about 170 km from Aktau, a popular tourist destination. On the one hand it resembles a huge white tent, on the other – a sleeping lion.

“Shergala” means “Lion Mountain” in Turkmen language. There are a lot of various legends related to this unique place. Sometimes local landscapes look as if you are on another planet. Around Shergala you can see a scattering of spherical boulders. Photos by Denis Frantsouzov

very unusual place

Tags: landscapes · Mangystau oblast

Big Almaty Lake is a body of water located in the Ile Alatau at a height of 2510 meters above sea level, 15 km south of Almaty. Photo by Vitaliy Rage

Tags: Almaty oblast · landscapes

Mangyshlak Peninsula is located on the east coast of the Caspian Sea. It is a unique natural reserve having the entire arsenal of different manifestations of nature of the desert.

Mangystau region of Kazakhstan is located on the peninsula. Video by Denis Frantsouzov

Tags: landscapes · Mangystau oblast

Lake Issyk is located about 70 km east of Almaty at an altitude of 1756 meters above sea level. The lake was formed about 8-10 thousand years ago in a landslide. Photo by Vitaliy Rage

Tags: Almaty oblast · landscapes

Charyn Canyon (Kazakh spelling “Sharyn”), located 195 km east of Almaty, near the border with China, stretches for 154 km along the Charyn River.

The canyon is a natural monument consisting of sedimentary rocks formed about 12 million years ago. The slopes height is about 150-300 meters. Charyn Canyon location on Google Maps. Photo by Eduard Kim

Tags: Almaty oblast · landscapes

There is hardly any person who has not heard about the Dead Sea – very salty lake in Israel.

But few people know that there is a similar lake in Almaty region, approximately 310 km from Almaty city. Its name “Tuzkol” is translated as “Salt Lake.” Photo by Nikolai Zinoviev

Tags: Almaty oblast · landscapes

What a beautiful landscape! It is a real dreamland located in East Kazakhstan oblast. Photo by Constantine Kikvidze

Tags: East Kazakhstan oblast · landscapes

The Ustyurt Plateau is located between the Aral Sea and the Caspian Sea on the territory of Kazakhstan (Mangystau region) and Uzbekistan.

With an average elevation of 150 meters, it consists primarily of stony desert but there are some exceptions like this one. Photo by Ne Horoshiy

Tags: landscapes · Mangystau oblast

Issyk is a lake located at an altitude of 1756 meters in Issyk gorge of Trans-Ili Alatau, about 70 km east of Almaty. The lake was formed about 8-10 thousand years ago in a landslide.

Originally, Issyk length was 1850 meters, width – 500 meters, depth – 50-79 meters. In 1959, the park with hotel and restaurant was opened here. Lake Issyk on Google Maps. Photos by Denis Frantsouzov

picturesque mountain lake

Tags: Almaty oblast · landscapes

Trans-Ili Alatau is a mountain range in the north-west of Tien Shan (on the border between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan) extending for 360 km with the prevailing heights – 4000-4600 meters.

Almaty, also known as the southern capital of Kazakhstan, is located in the northern foothills of Trans-Ili Alatau. Here you can find famous sports complex Medeo and alpine ski resort Chimbulak. Photos by SkorovS

beautiful winter scenery

Tags: Almaty oblast · landscapes