Set at the foot of the picturesque Tien Shan mountains, it forms a beautiful backdrop for Almaty city, also known as the apple. It is the city of fragrant apples, and of kind and hospitable people.  It used to be the former capital of Kazakhstan until the capital was shifted to Astana in 1997. Kazakhstan is the 9th largest country in the world, and it used to be an important country through which the ancient Silk Road passes through. Being located in the centre of Eurasia, it is a unique region in the world because of its geographical location, history and size of the country. It offers diverse natural areas, modern new cities and a rich culture and history.

 

Having arrived in Almaty in the wee hours of the morning on Friday, I decided to sleep in a little and had the afternoon to explore the city. My first impression is that it is quite large and there is no distinctive city centre. We had asked a few passers-by for directions to the city centre and they pointed us to fast food chains like Burger King and KFC. Apparently these American joints are a novelty to them.

 

Almaty also has many large tree-lined boulevards and open parks for locals to relax or catch up with their friends. The straight avenues, green parks and snowcapped mountains established Almaty’s reputation as the most attractive city in Kazakhstan. One of the nicer parks is 28 Panfilov park which commemorates the Kazakh soldiers that died while participating in WW2. There is a constant fire burning in the memorial and bouquets put on the ground near the flame. The park is named in honour of the heroes of the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945), the 28 warriors of the Guards Panfilov’s division, who put a halt to the armoured forces of fascists a few kilometres from Moscow in Nov 1941. Inside Panfilov park, there is a Russian orthodox cathedral called Ascension cathedral. It’s colourful facade is typical of Russian orthodox churches and you can see kids chasing after the birds in the square. It survived a strong earthquake in 1910 which destroyed most of the city but left the wooden church undamaged.

 

Republic Square is the main square of the city, surrounded by green gardens, fountains and the independence monument. On the south side of the square is the Almaty City administration building and residence of the president.

Koktobe means “green hill” in Kazakh. It is home to a television tower and an amusement park, offering panoramic views of the city. However, the funicular is the only way to get there and you can’t reach the tower on foot, as I tried to walk up the hill but failed.

For those interested in some shopping, visit the Green Bazaar which is the central market. It is the market which truly embodies the beautiful traditions of Central Asian markets. Regardless of season, there is everything that is to be offered in this bazaar, from honey of East Kazakhstan,  sturgeon caviar of the Caspian sea, dried fruit of Uzbekistan, fresh meat and dairy products, spices, herbs, fruits and vegetables to Kazakh national drinks – kumis and shubat. It’s worth a visit to see the neatly lined rows of stalls and how locals go about shopping for fresh food at the bazaar.