BALKHASH
Balkhash is like Lake Baikal, only in Central Asia. It shares the same irregular crescent shape, the same dissimilarity of the lands on either side of the lake, and the same aspirated “sea” in the locals’ terminology. Balkhash is also famous for being essentially two lakes—the western half is freshwater, while the eastern half is saltwater. The town of Balkhash is important due to its developed mining and metallurgy industries. The Balkhash Mining and Metallurgical Plant, a full-cycle copper smelter, is the second largest in the former USSR after Norilsk.
Recommended attractions:
The 30th Anniversary of the Komsomol Park is not only a favorite recreation spot for locals but also a local relic. The park was founded in 1939 by the pioneers of Balkhash. Young people built it in their free time. Since the plant operated in shifts, they worked on the future park site every day.
The Balkhash City Museum of History and Local Lore was founded in 1970 at the initiative of local residents and with the support of prominent Kazakh figures. The first scientific exhibition opened in 1973—a collection of petroglyphs and artifacts from the Stone Age to the Middle Ages. Later, halls dedicated to the history of the city, nature, ethnography, and nomadic life were added. Today, the museum occupies 1,418 square meters, houses a collection of over 39,000 exhibits, and focuses on the archeology, ethnography, ecology, and history of Balkhash. The museum houses permanent exhibition halls (“Nature and Ecology,” “Archaeology,” “Ethnography and Everyday Life,” and “History of the City of Balkhash”), as well as a section of Kazakh musical instruments. The museum actively conducts research and educational activities.
Lake Balkhash never ceases to amaze with its mystery—scientists still cannot explain the geographic paradox of the appearance of a semi-freshwater, endorheic body of water amidst the steppes, in an area with a dry climate and low precipitation. The lake is the 14th largest in the world by area and the only one composed of two completely distinct parts: freshwater (a liter of water contains not even 1 gram of salt) and saltwater (a liter contains 3.5 to 6 grams of salt). Thanks to a narrow strait and the Saryesik Peninsula, the lake’s waters do not mix at all, hydrographically dividing it into two very distinct parts.
The Bektau Ata Mountains are a tract of land 70 km north of Balkhash. The mountains, captivating with their striking volcanic forms, are surrounded by poplar and juniper groves. During rainy periods and after winter, entire cascades of small lakes form on the slopes. Here you can encounter cranes and waders, as well as rare argali and goitered gazelles. For 16 million years, hot molten rock rose from the depths of the earth, forming cone- and shield-shaped paleovolcanoes on the surface. Over time, fragments of the extruded surface layer were washed away, revealing the granite mountains of Bekatu Ata.
The Saryarka low-hill region is an ancient, heavily eroded mountainous region consisting of leveled uplands and low, gently rolling mountains. Between them lie leveled areas, large and small depressions, and basins, varying in geological structure and relief. Saryarka occupies most of Central Kazakhstan. The Saryarka steppe and lakes of Northern Kazakhstan became Kazakhstan’s first natural sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2008.