CENTRAL ASIA - MELTING POT OF GREAT CIVILISATIONS AND RELIGIONS

Where in Almaty do such beautiful tulip flowers grow? Read on to find out.

 

28 Panfilov Guardsman Park (commonly called Panfilov Park) in Almaty is a very famous attraction. It was established in the 1870's as a city garden. It was renamed in 1942 in honour of 28 soldiers from an Almaty Infantry unit who died in WWll. It encompasses Ascension Cathedral, Glory Memorial with an eternal flame commemorating the fallen soldiers, and an 18-hectare urban park.

The Eternal Flame for fallen soldiers.

Ascension Cathedral (also Zenkof Cathedral) is one of the most iconic landmarks in Almaty. Renowned for its colourful exterior and outstanding wooden construction, it was completed in 1908. It is regarded as one of the tallest wooden churches standing at 56m tall. Architect Andrei Zenkov created an engineering feat by building it out of wood, almost entirely without nails. It survived an earthquake and a period as a Soviet museum but is now under the Russian Orthodox Church. A major restoration was also made in 2020.

Kazakh musical instruments displayed in Central State Museum

An AI created portrait of Ordu, eldest son of Jochi who was the eldest son of Genghis Khan and his wife Borte. This was taken from a museum display about the kingdoms of Genghis Khan's sons.

A museum mock up of the burial of a high-ranking official of the Steppes possibly during the Golden Horde era.
 

Lagman (noodles) fried with beef. Such noodles, likely originated in Xinjiang, are a crucial part of their cuisine. The Xinjiang name is "La Mien".

Fried horse meat served with raw onions and Coriander. I reckon it's healthy as there is hardly any fat. 

Almaty (capital of Kazakhstan) on a cloudy day from Kok Tobe, an amusement park like Ba Na Hills in Vietnam, albeit on a smaller scale. On that day, it was not well patronised with the cable car down and inclement weather.

The Beatles are assigned their own corner on Kok Tobe. Beatlemania likely affected youngsters in the 60's and 70's for our Russian driver, who is 62 years old, knew about the Beatles song, "Back in the USSR", when I mentioned it during my conversation with Elaman.