text by Vitaliy Shuptar
Source:
"Avalon Kazakhstan eBook"
www.kazakhstan-online.net
AVALON HGS PA

Southeast of Karaganda, at the junction of the Karaganda and the Almaty oblasts, is Lake Balkhash. It is one of the largest lakes in the world (about 18 thousand square kilometers). The uniqueness of Balkhash is that the half of the lake is fresh and another half is salty (the salty eastern and the fresh western parts are divided by a narrow strait Uzyn-Aral). The depth of Balkhash does not exceed 26 meters, and its length is more than 600 kilometers.
The lake is having a hard time at present. The mining-metallurgical industrial complex, situated in the town of Balkhash, deposits poisonous waste products into the lake, and the wind spreads the cinder from industrial chimneys which accumulates on its surface and the bordering territories for some ten kilometers away from the complex. As a result, although there are three beaches in the town, it is recommended not to try and catch a tan or to bathe here, nor to drink water from the lake (especially in the areas bordering upon the town).  
However, the situation is not so bad. It is generally agreed, however, that opportunities for rest and relaxation are possible further from the town of Balkhash and its metallurgical giant, and despite these negative aspects, the lake is one of the most popular vacation spots in Central Kazakhstan. One can lie in the sun and bathe there (which is the most popular among the holiday-makers), or fish, yacht and investigate some islands. The bathing season in Balkhash begins in June and lasts until early September. The temperature of the water during this period is 25-30°C. There are many wonderful beaches along the rocky lakeside, and those situated at a distance from the industrial complex enjoy great popularity. Such a place is the Shubartubek village situated 25 km from the town of Balkhash.
There are also some popular islands that can take a pride in more virginal nature. Thus, the Tasaral Island, situated southwest of the town of Balkhash, is considered one of the most beautiful and fetching nooks on the lake. Tourists visit the Uzyn-Aral Island as well. It is situated on the border between the salty and fresh parts of Balkhash and is very popular place for diving and fishing.
On the whole, fishing is one of the most popular reasons for people to holiday in Balkhash. The lake is inhabited by sazan (Cyprinus carpio), perch (Perca fluviatilis), bream (Abramis brama), zander (Stizostedion), marinka (Schizothorax), cat-fish (Silurus glanis), zherekh (Aspius aspius), vobla (Rutilus rutilus caspicus), and the Volga zander (Stizostedion volgensis). They say that the sturgeon (Acipenser) also lives there, but in the opposite part of the lake (the Almaty part). Fishing is not over even in winter (from late November until April the lake usually freezes, and ice-fishing begins). There is a question about the quality of the fish in the lake due to the levels of pollution.  Also, there are areas where it is forbidden to fish, so it is necessary to pay special attention to warnings and notices.
To the north of the lake stretches a vast desert area which, at first sight, can seem to be of no interest. In fact, Northern Pribalkhashye possesses both natural sights, (such as the granite massif Bektau-Ata, the Shunak meteorite crater and the Turanga-groves), and the industrial places of interest striking the imagination by their scale. The most famous among the latter are the Kounrad and East-Kounrad open-cast mines.

THE GRANITE MASSIF BEKTAU-ATA
Some 70 km north of the town of Balkhash one of the most noteworthy places of Northern Pribalkhashye is located, the mountain oasis Bektau-Ata. Its highest peak is a peculiar landmark in this diversity-lacking expanse.
The highest point of the mountains, the Bektau-Ata Peak, reaches 1214 meters above sea level (its height from the foot to the peak is about 600 meters). In the western part of the massif are located three other peaks: Sarykulzha (1082 meters), Konyrkulzha (976 meters) and Karashoky (893 meters). The Bektau-Ata Mountains are rich in whimsically-shaped rocks.  Over thousands of years the processes of weathering have eroded away the granites and created real pieces of art that are nowadays give descriptive names such as ‘Grib’ (Mushroom), ‘Sunduk’ (Trunk), ‘Cherepakha’ (Tortoise), ‘Trekhzubka’ (Trident), amongst many others.
There are several rivers in the mountains, which are watered only in April and May. Lack of water in a drought season can be compensated by several tens of springs (we should mention, though, that many springs can also dry up in the very hot weather) and even hot-wells.

The most famous spring is situated in the legendary Atabek’s cave. The cave is located at a height of 80 meters from the foot of the mountain and stretches 50 meters northeastwards. The cave is connected with a legend about the saint Atabek, in honor of whom the whole mountain massif had been called. Atabek lived in the period of Kazakh-Jungar wars. When escaping from his enemies, the elder took shelter in a cave, located in a sheer cliff, which had not been found by the pursuers. Allah created a fresh spring in the cave, so that Atabek did not die of thirst. The spring still exists to the present.
It should be mentioned that this cave was considered sacred long before the events described happened. It is believed to have been in use by the Stone Age people. Later Turkic women would come here to ask the heavens for a child and make a sacrifice to the goddess of fertility and domestic hearth, Umai. The cave is still considered to be life-giving and to render help to barren women.
Besides Atabek’s cave, there are many other caves in the Bektau-Ata Mountains. Their depths are rich in various minerals, particularly in rock crystal, morion and piezoquartz.
There grow several endemic plants, for example the Bektau-Ata sweetvetch, and a rare plant Kessler’s astragalus. The archa juniper (Juniperus semiglobosa) that can find moisture in the cracks of rocks is the most widespread inhabitant of the massif. The forest is represented by small but numerous aspen and willow woods. Among the animals there are the argali (Ovis ammon), the roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), the mountain hare (Lepus timidus), the Mongolian pika (Ochotona pricei), the steppe pika(Ochotona pusilla), the rare five-toed dwarf jerboa (Cardiocranius paradoxus), the golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), the saker falcon (Falco cherrug), the black grouse (Tetrao) and many others. Reptiles include the dione ratsnake (Elaphe dione) (innocuous to man) and the halys pit viper (Ancistrodon halys) (a dangerous poisonous snake).
In the secluded nooks of the Bektau-Ata mountains one can find mumiyo – a remedy that had been known in the East for millenniums. This substance (mountain wax of organic origin) is formed there due to vital functions of the Mongolian pika. The greater the age of mumiyo, the more valuable it is.
THE TURANGA GROVES
Not far from the town of Balkhash there are several groves of the relic turanga (the Asian poplar). Such groves can be found in the lower course of the Tokyrau River, near the Orta-Deresyn village and in some other places.
These trees are especially suitable for growing in sandy and saline lands. The turanga groves serve as a shelter during summer heat and fierce drought. From time immemorial the Kazakhs considered the turanga to be a sacred tree, due to its unique trait: the tree can weep (in certain periods of time the sap of the turanga percolates through the bark and becomes scarlet soon). The people believed that the tree shed blood tears recalling its ancestors and the ancient times. To cut down the turanga was always considered a great sin.
Due to its strong root system, plunging down into the soil to a depth up to 50 meters, the turanga is able to pump water from under sands. That is why it survives in the severest climate of the Northern Pribalkhashye where almost everything withers in summer. Despite the great importance of the turanga for the area and its capability to prevent saline lands growth, the turanga groves have been endangered for many years. This results from irrational pasture of cattle, fires and unauthorized deforestation.
THE SHUNAK METEORITE CRATER
Forty kilometers west of the Moyinty railway station is situated one of the most interesting natural sights of extraterrestrial origin: the Shunak meteorite crater (cryptoexplosion structure).
Shunak was formed some 12 million years ago when a huge meteorite fell down and destroyed everything living for thousands of kilometers around. The diameter of the crater is 3100 meters. One can easily see the socle circular wall and the flattened bottom covered with loamy sediment. The crater is rather deep – about 400 meters (to compare with the 175-meter deep famous Arizona meteorite crater in the USA).
KOUNRAD AND EAST-KOUNRAD OPEN-CAST MINES
The so-called ‘craters’ of the Kounrad and East-Kounrad open-cast mines are, on the other hand, of terrestrial origin. The Kounrad copper deposit, one of the largest copper-ore deposits, was discovered in 1928 by the Leningrad geologist Mikhail Rusakov. It was due to the discovery that the town of Balkhash was built.  In 1940 abundant supplies of molybdenum ore and tungsten were found northeast of the Kounrad deposit, and in 1941 the development of the East-Kounrad mine began.
Nowadays the huge trenches-craters of the Kounrad and East-Kounrad mines strike those few visitors, who go there, by their size.
 
BALKHASH
The town of Balkhash is located on the lake of the same name, 380 km from Karaganda. The origin and development of the town were based on the nearby Kounrad copper deposit and the construction of the associated enterprise, the Balkhash mining-metallurgical industrial complex. Its chimney-stacks, unfortunately, do not serve as a good background for having a rest on the lake. What can present interest in the town is the Museum of Local Lore (12, Valikhanov St.; tel. +7 (31036) 5-14-84, 5-16-40). The museum has collections on the nature, archaeology and ethnography of the region. The map of the town is available at site www.balkhash.de.