Thank’s to My Destination for sharing…

The Green Bazaar, or Zelionyj Bazar, is a place you really should visit when visiting Almaty or Alma-Ata.  This market is central to the every day life of the local people and it is so called the Green Bazar, or market, from the past it was the traditional place to buy and sell local produce like vegetables. It is by no means the only market in Almaty, but it is the most well known, and probably, sells the widest range of goods.   This is a great place to feel the real atmosphere of central Asia and to get involved with a bit of ‘haggling’ and sampling of local produce.

Panfilovets’ Park is located in central-east Almaty in the area surrounding Zenkov Cathedral.  The park is dedicated and named after the Panfilov Heros.  The memorial in the park is in memory of the 28 soldiers of an Almaty infantry unit who died fighting the Nazis outside Moscow. Ivan Panfilov was the name of the General commanding the 316 division who, in spite of suffering heavy casualties,  managed to significantly delay the enemy’s advance on the capital, buying time for the defenders of the city. An eternal flame commemorating the fallen of 1917-20 (the Civil War) and 1941-45 (WWII), burns in front of the giant black monument of soldiers from all 15 Soviet republics.

The world famous ice skating rink ”Medeu” dates back to 1949. Named in honor of the village volost Medeu Pusurmanova and located at an altitude of about 1700 m.

Shymbulak

Thank’s to My Destination for sharing…

The monument of architecture of the Republic of Kazakhstan and one of the largest high-altitude complexes for winter sports with a total area of the rink – 10 500 sq.m. The construction of a full-fledged alpine complex began in 1970 and included more than 1,300 people. The ice arena is illuminated by 1600 spotlights. In 2001 and 2008, Medeu was reconstructed, new refrigeration equipment and major re-equipment were installed on the eve of the Winter Asian Games 2011, lighting systems, visualization and sound systems were changed, the number of places in the hotel complex was increased, and a fitness center was built. At the same time, up to 3,000 people can ride on the ice arena. In 2011, the cable car to Chimbulak with a length of 4,500 meters was built, which allows you to reach another point in 15 minutes and will provide an opportunity to admire the colorful landscapes of mountain landscapes. Here competitions are held in such disciplines as figure skating, hockey and speed skating, as well as the skating rink is called the “sports record factory”, since all of the time more than 200 world records were set. The first official competitions began in 1951. The unique nature is beautiful in any weather and offers its visitors a view from the summit, where you can climb the ascent ladder, located on the slope of the mountains.

Big Almaty Lake is located 28.5km south of Almaty up a gorge of the Bolshaya Almatinka River, 2,511 meters above sea level.  The lake is within the Alatau – Eliy National park and both the Gorge and the lake are an attraction for visitors using Almaty as their base.  The lake is used for both hydro electric power, and the water supply for the city, but this does not detract from the magnificent mountain scenery.

The mountains, Sovetov to the southeast, Ozyorny to the south and Turist to the southwest form a backdrop on all sides to the lake, producing some spectacular reflections, changing colour throughout the seasons.  All three mountains are around the 4,000 metres high, with a glacial water running down towards the lake.

The lake itself is about 1 km wide and 1.6 km long, with a depth of about 40 meters. It can be accessed by road or by foot, although a bus ride to the beginning of the assent, places you directly into the scenic area.

Thank’s to Air Astana for sharing…