Lake Balkhash
Kazakhstan rivers and lakes. The Biggest rivers and lakes in Kazakhstan

For venturesome visitors, Balkhash offers hunting with falcons for heath-cock, duck, partridge, pigeon, hare, fox and even wolf. Also interesting is the marine life of the lake. You can enjoy fishing for marinka, pike perch, bream, catfish and others.

Lake Balkhash is the largest body of water without an outlet after the Caspian and Aral seas. Its length is 614 km, width is 3.5 to 44 km, and its maximum depth is 26 m. One phenomenon of Lake Balkhash is the different composition of its western and eastern parts, connected by a narrow gulf. The western part recieves water from the Ili River and is fresh; the eastern part is salty. The nature of Balkhash is a wonderful land of contrasts.

Bektuata Mountain Range
Bektuata Mountain Range is an oasis in North Pribalkhashye (The northern part of the lake). The pink peak of Bektuata soars to a height of more than 1000 m. In clear weather it can be seen over 100 km away, thus its nickname, the "light house of Pribalkhashye". Bektuata is not vast (4000 hectares), but it includes a great variety of wonderful geological features and gorges. In the depths of its caves one can find mountain crystal morion, a rare mineral quartz.

These granites have all imaginable forms. Their names are "Mushroom", "Trunk", "Turtle", etc. Numerous ancient monuments and mounds, many of which have been preserved, may still be hiding mysteries of life.

In Sary-arka, 88 archeological sites, situated in different regions, are protected by the state. There are Aktasti and Klish mounds, Dermen settlement, Aidagarly cave, etc.

The most interesting specimen of cultural architecture of the 18^th c. is Ak-Beket Mazar. Mazar is a circular building in the shape of a yurt (tent).

Joint project of OrexCA.com and KTA & KAGIR. Information is taken from the CD "All about tourism in Kazakhstan"