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Almaty sightseeings |
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Almaty -
is the country’s biggest megapolis, “the first city in the nation” – even after losing its status as the national capital.
The city is like a small country within a bigger one. It is a cultural, scientific, financial, commercial, transport, and tourist center of Kazakhstan .
This most beautiful city at the foothills of the emerald ranges of the Tien Shan was rightfully nicknamed “the garden city”.
The name Almaty ( Alma-Ata ) derives from alma– “apple”. It was here that the renowned Almaty aport apple originated from.
The sights of Almaty:
 The Green Bazaar
(Zhibek Zholy Pr., corner of Pushkina St.)
The central market, or the Green Bazaar, is the embodiment of great traditions of an Asian bazaar where you breathe in the oriental flavor of the city. It is the crossroads of many Asian cultures rather than just a bazaar. Here you can find anything grown in Central Asia . Farmers from neighboring countries bring their own goods, too. The open space of the bazaar is scattered with numerous shashlyk grills, a clothing market, flower rows, and restaurants with the oriental cuisine.
 Ascension Cathedral
(in 28 Panfilov Guards Park)
This architectural monument is one of 8 unique wooden structures in the world. Ascension Cathedral is amazing in its beauty and magnificence. It was built in 1904-1907 according to a design by architect A.P. Zenkov. Its walls were painted by artist Khludov. The Cathedral is about 50 meters tall. Notably, it withstood a powerful earthquake in 1910г. Church services were resumed in the Cathedral in 1997.
 Arasan Baths
(Aiteke Bi St., corner of Kunayeva St.)
The central bath house of Almaty is an impressive domed building just across Panfilov Park . Arasan has three types of baths: Russian, Turkish and Finnish. The Russian and Finnish baths are in the same part and have a common swimming pool. You can go to either of them with one ticket. The Finnish bath is dry, while the Russian bath is a sea of steam. The Turkish bath is made from heated stone platforms with three various temperatures, and also has a pool.
 The Central State Museum
(Mikrorayon Samal-1, Furmanova St., corner of Satpayeva St.)
The Museum of History and Culture of Kazakhstan was moved from Orenburg (former national capital) in the 1930s. The present-day building was built in 1985, and boasts an original architectural design. The main lobby features a decorated yurt. The very history of Kazakhstan becomes live with 120,000 exhibits shown in four halls.
Hall 1: paleontology and archeology.
Hall 2: history from the 15th century to the beginning of the 20th century. Household utensils and applied arts, a rich collection of historic materials of the pre-revolution period.
Hall 3: history of the 20th century. Ethnography of the peoples of Kazakhstan . An exhibition on the conflict between the Soviet power and the traditional Kazakh culture. Homage to soldiers of World War II. The Ethnography Section includes information about the Russians, Koreans, Ukraininas, Uighurs, Jews, and other peoples.
Hall 4: modern history of the Republic of Kazakhstan (1991-1998). An exhibition of jewelry on the lower floor. The exhibits date back to the 1st-4th centuries and the 19th-20th centuries. A copy of the famous Gold Warrior is exhibited. The museum also has a gallery for rotary exhibitions. The collection includes 200,000 items of the material culture. There are three shops in the lobby on the first floor, and two of them sell souvenirs.
 Kok-Tobe
A hill on one of the Alatau ridges, with a TV tower. Kok-Tyube – “the green top” – is covered with motley grass and shrubs, and is 1,070 m high. On clear days, a great panorama of the city opens from the observation deck. You can get up here in different ways: use a daily cableway to Kok-Tyube from Abaya Square on Dostyk Prospect, or in a car going to the south along Dostyk Pr., and then turn east to the south of the Alatau Hotel. Or you can walk up along a path to the east of Luganskogo St
There are a few cozy restaurants and cafes on top of Kok-Tyube.
The TV tower serves as a landmark for tourists as it can be seen from almost any place in the city. The tower stands at 1,000 m above sea level, although it is 327 m tall. An observation deck is at 146 meters .
 Medeu
Medeu is the world’s largest mountainous complex for winter sports. The skating rink is in a gorge with the same name at 1,700 m above sea level. The Medeu Tract is at 1,520 to 1,750 m above sea level in the valley of the Malaya Almatinka River and girded with mountain ridges on all sides. It is one of the most favorite sights for residents and guests of Almaty.
The skating rink was built in 1972 in a scenic gorge, 16 km from Almaty. A mild climate, low sun radiation, low pressure, windless weather and ice from pure spring water make Medeu one of the world’s best skating rinks – and probably the most beautiful due to its location. The ice area of the rink is 10,500 sq. m , and it is the best place for open-air international competitions in skate racing, ice hockey and figure skating. More than 120 world records have been set here by the world’s strongest speed skaters (as compared with 40 in Davos). The skating rink is open for skating from November through March, and offers skates for rent.
Tourists are also attracted by the dam erected in the Malaya Almatinka River Valley to protect the city from mudslides. It was this very dam that saved the city from the deadly mudflow in 1973. After you make 830 steps walking up the dam, you will enjoy a great panorama of mountain tops of the Zailiiski Alatau. The annual Aziya Dauysy (“the Voice of Asia”) international festival is held in the Medeu Tract. This highland area has a lot of places where you can have a snack or stay for the night. Try the national cuisine at the yurt-shaped Kazakh Aul restaurant.
 Shymbulak ski resort
The Shymbulak ski resort is in a scenic gorge of the Zailiiski Alatau at 2,200 m above sea level, 25 km from the city. It is famous for its mild climate with a big number of sunny days, steady snow cover from November through May, and great views of surrounding tops and ridges.
Mountain skiing routes are serviced with four chairlifts and three rope tows. They will take to the Talgar Pass ( 3,200 m ) in a mere 20 minutes. The first point is Peresecheniye Station ( 2,260 m to 2,630 m ): 1,243 m long, 9-minute rise. The second is 20 Opora Station ( 2,630 m to 2,930 m ): 948 m long, 7.5-minute rise. The third one is Talgarskiy Pereval Station ( 2,930 m to 3,163 m ): 860 m long, 8-minute rise. The total length of the routes is 3,620 m , with a drop of 1,000 m . There is a snow park for snowboarders, too.
A hotel is available. The average summer temperature is +20°С, winter temperature is -7°. The snow cover is 1.5 to 1.8 m thick.
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