Having gained its freedom during the dissolution of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Kazakhstan is on its way to becoming one of the most powerful countries in Central Asia, thanks to its strategic location and rich natural resources. Among the Turkic Republics, on the other hand, it is the country in the best economic situation, so I named Kazakhstan the high-flying eagle of Central Asia. places to visit in KazakhstanThe 10 most beautiful places on the r list are waiting for you in this article, have a pleasant reading!
What You Will Find In This Article
Briefly About Kazakhstan
- Kazakh is used to mean "to wander" in old Turkish. It would not be wrong to call Kazakhstan, where you can see the traces of nomadic culture in many places, “the country of travelers” or “the country of nomads”.
- The country, whose official name is the Republic of Kazakhstan, is the 9th largest country in the world in terms of area. While the south of the country benefits from the blessings of the Tian Shan, the north is more arid and steppe.
- Kazakhstan, which has been the center of important Turkish states such as Saka, Hun, Göktürk, Kipchak, Karahanlı and Altın Ordu throughout history, lived under the rule of the Russian Empire and the USSR after the Kazakh Khanate, and declared its independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Kazakh and Russian are spoken in the country.
- The country, which was on the Silk Road in history, is today the richest of the Turkish States in Central Asia, thanks to its rich natural resources.
Kazakhstan Visa for Turkish Citizens
Kazakhstan does not require visas from Turkish citizens for touristic visits. Ordinary passport holders are exempt from visa for 30 days. Diplomatic, service and special passport holders are also exempt from visa for 30 days.
You may also be interested in this article > All visa applications valid for Turkish Citizens
Best Time to Visit Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan is a huge country spread over a wide geography, so it has a continental climate in general, although it is difficult to limit it to a certain season.
- If you are going to Kazakhstan for a culture and nature trip, spring and summer are the best times.
- It has nice facilities for ski tourism to Kazakhstan. If you are going to the country for winter sports, it would be appropriate to evaluate the winter months.
How to Get to Kazakhstan?
Neighboring Russia in the north, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan in the south, and China in the east, Kazakhstan has a coast on the Caspian Sea and the Aral Sea. Kazakhstan's Google Maps application click for location.
There are many alternative flight options to go to Kazakhstan from Turkey. You can fly with Turkish Airlines, Air Astana and Fly Arystan to Astana, the capital of the country, to Almaty, the former capital, and to Turkestan, which has been selected as the Cultural Capital of the Turkic World.
It is possible to reach Kazakhstan from the surrounding countries by alternative routes such as airways and buses.
Places to Visit in Kazakhstan
The list of places to visit in Kazakhstan is quite long with a deep-rooted history brought about by being the center of the Turkish World and being on the Silk Road, a large area covered with canyons, valleys, lakes and steppes, beautiful national parks and natural areas. Choosing 10 places from this list has never been easy.
Almaty, the city named after the apple
Almaty, the first capital of the Republic of Kazakhstan, is still its most populous and lively city. The city, named after the apple, is covered with fertile plains and high peaks. The city is so green that it was chosen as the greenest capital of the union during the Soviet era, and it is still lush with large parks and gardens, tall trees that adorn wide streets from left to right. It is possible to feel the Soviet influence as soon as you land in the city. Almaty is an orderly and beautiful city with wide streets, regular buildings and magnificent public buildings. Zenkov Cathedral, Slavic Monument, Republic Square, Panfilov Park, Kökbazar (closed market place), Astana Square, Kok Tobe Hill are the main places to see in the city center.
Located only 20 minutes from the city center and surrounded by peaks of up to 4300 meters, the ski resort Shymbulak is also an important destination for winter sports tourism, thanks to the Ski Center. On the way to Shymbulak Ski Resort, you can also visit the Medeu Ice Rink, one of the largest high mountain skating rinks in the world.
You can fly directly to Almaty from Turkey with Air Astana.
Kazakhstan's Modern and New Face Astana
We can say that Astana is the modern and new face of Kazakhstan. The city, which became more important commercially after the capital was moved from Almaty to Astana, is located in the central part of the country on the banks of the Ishim river. Although the name of the city was changed to "Nur-Sultan" for a while, the name of Astana was returned due to the reactions of the people.
Astana is a city where you can mostly find business centers, shopping malls, high-rise buildings and newly built monuments. If we list the main places to see in the city; Baiterek Tower, Hazrat Sultan Mosque, Lovers Park, Peace Palace, National Museum, Nur Astana Mosque, Khan Shatyr Mall.
Shymkent, one of the historical stops of the Silk Road
Shymkent, the third largest city in Kazakhstan, has an important place in history with its location on the Silk Road. Today, it is like a touristic and commercial connection point with Uzbekistan, as it is a big city close to the Uzbekistan border.
Ak Meshit, which flows 1,5 hours from Shymkent, Otrar Ancient City, the city where Timur died and located 2 hours away, Ethnography Museum and Underground Mosque in the city center, Shymkent Castle are among the places to see in and around Shymkent. .
Turkistan, the Spiritual Capital of the Turkic World
Turkistan, formerly the city of Yesi, was declared the "Spiritual Capital of the Turkic World" at the Turkic World Summit held in 2021. The most important reason for this choice is that Hoca Ahmet Yesevi lived here. Ahmet Yesevi's Tomb is located in the city center of Turkestan.
The tomb, which was started to be built by Timur in 1389, was left unfinished after Timur's death in 1405. In the area where the tomb is located, the underground mosque, where Hoca Ahmet Yesevi spent 20 years in seclusion, can also be visited. Ulu Dala Eli Ortalygy museum in Turkestan is a newly opened museum where you can get a lot of information about Kazakh culture and the history of the region. The first railway line of the region, opened in 1903, Altın Samurg and Caravanserai are places to see in Turkestan city centre. You can also add Arystan Bab Tomb, the teacher of Ahmet Yesevi, 60 km from Turkistan to your list.
You can fly directly to Turkistan from Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport with Air Arystan.
Aktau for Summer Vacation
Aktau is the city of Kazakhstan on the Caspian Sea coast. The city, which has rich gas and oil deposits, was a campground where workers working in the oil industry lived until 40 years ago. Today, with its beaches on the shores of the Caspian Sea, it has become a colorful and vibrant tourist destination preferred by both Kazakhs and foreigners for their summer holidays.
Popular attractions in Aktau: World War II. World War II Memorial, Botanical Garden, Regional Museum, Caspian Sea coast, Taras Shevchenko Statue
Lake Balkhash, one of the largest lakes in Asia
If you like water sports such as rafting, canoeing and scuba diving, Lake Balkaş should definitely be on your Kazakhstan route. Many holiday villages, hotels and sports centers where local and foreign tourists stay await their visitors around the lake.
The most striking aspect of Lake Balkaş, one of the largest lakes in Asia and the 15th largest lake in the world, is that the west is fresh water and the east is salt water. Many tourists visit the lake during the summer months to enjoy refreshing dives in the blue waters of the lake, to benefit from the hot springs, and to be beautiful in the mud baths.
The area around the lake, which draws attention with its plant and flower diversity, has been determined as an ecological tourism route and in 2021, Lake Balkaş has been selected as one of the top 10 places to visit in Kazakhstan.
Golden Emel National Park, The Largest Conservation Area in Kazakhstan
I said that Kazakhstan has different natural beauties thanks to its wide geography. Altın Emel National Park is one of the best places to see these beauties. The area, which was recognized as a national park in 1996, is the largest protected area in Kazakhstan and is also under Unesco protection.
The national park is located between the Ili River and the Ak-Tau mountain range. The interesting thing about this national park is that it not only consists of dense forests, but also includes desert and rocky terrains. It is also a treasure for archaeologists as it contains very important historical evidence about past lives.
The park, where you can see interesting landscapes including sand deserts, mountains and vegetation, is one of the best spots in Kazakhstan to take pictures. You can find many places such as red mountains, moon mountains, green meadows, mounds, sand dunes, an oasis of woods.
Baikonur Cosmodrome
Did you watch spacecraft, rockets and satellites sent into space in your childhood? If you watched it, you must have heard the name Baykonur. Baikonur Cosmodrome is the oldest in the world and the largest in the region.
Baikonur is a city that has witnessed many space science experiments over the years. The interesting thing about it is that it is a very important part of Kazakhstan, but technically it is leased and administered by the Russian Federation as a residential area.
Since it is administered by the Russian Federation, visiting this place is a bit complicated compared to other places in Kazakhstan.
For foreign visitors to visit the town of Baikonur, they need to obtain pre-approval from the Russian authorities and also written approval, which is completely separate from holding a regular Russian Visa. The place is very adventurous and interesting. Undoubtedly, it is one of the best places to visit in Kazakhstan.
Kaindy Lake with its Fascinating Beauty
Kaindy Lake is one of many beautiful lakes in Kazakhstan. Since it is located 129 kilometers east-southeast of Almaty city, its transportation is not as complicated and difficult as some other touristic places in Kazakhstan.
Kaindy Lake is 2000 meters above sea level, 400 meters long and reaches a depth of about 30 meters in the middle of the lake. The lake was formed naturally by an earthquake in 1911. In the earthquake, a natural dam wall was formed and clean water began to accumulate. However, while some of the spruce trees that lived there at that time were submerged in the water, some remained on the surface of the water, thus creating a very beautiful view.
The bluish green color of the water makes the whole lake so beautiful that those who see it fall in love with its beauty. The greenery surrounding the lake is also fascinating. Tall trees, small plants, wildlife and all the beauty of nature will not only fascinate you, but will also give you an atmosphere of peace.
Tamgalı-Stone Petroglyphs
We all know that in ancient times, people wrote on the rocks and drew beautiful pictures to express themselves. You can experience one of these places by visiting Tamgaly-Tas. If we translate it into Turkish, the place where the petroglyphs mean "stamped stone" is located 120 km north of Almaty (Kapçagai district), on the banks of the Ili river.
There are many rock paintings and inscriptions of Tibetan iconography dating to the second half of the 17th century. Many mantras, pictures and poems are engraved on the rocks.
If you are into history, you should add this tourist attraction to your Kazakhstan trip. Tamgaly-Tas in Kazakhstan awaits its visitors as an extraordinary monument of art, history and culture. While you are here, you can add Nomad Castle, which was established as a movie set, to your travel list.
You can add Kazakhstan to your travel routes to experience the Turkish and nomadic culture in place, to see the traces of the Silk Road, to meet Kazakhs living in a completely different geography with a culture very similar to us.
The edited version of this article was published in Skyroad Magazine.