Kazakhstan

Beatles Statue of Almaty

The Beatlemania is still strong... at least in Kazakhstan

Bronzing items which one finds important, and well worth saving, isn't a rare practice. Attics and closets across the world are filled with bronze baby shoes, bronze hand prints and, less... »

Unusual Monuments, Strange Statues | Edited by Tawsam, Mark_Casey and others

Astana, Kazakhstan

Bayterek Tower

A modern tower, symbolizing the legend of a golden egg on top of the tree of life

The Kazakh word "bayterek" translates literally to mean "tall poplar," as in the tree. That's what makes Bayterek Tower such a fitting name for a national monument steeped in symbolism and... »

Unusual Monuments, Commercial Curiosities, Architectural Oddities | Edited by Tawsam, Mark_Casey and others

Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan

Semipalatinsk Polygon

One of the most horrible legacies of the Cold War era: where the Soviet Union tested nuclear bombs on civilians

Prior to 1990, Semipalatinsk (today known as Semey) was one of the numerous closed cities of the Soviet Union. Only high-ranking officials of the politburo knew about the going-ons within these... »

Disaster Areas | Edited by Tawsam and Rachel

Shetpe, Kazakhstan

Valley of Balls

Mysterious spherical rocks in the semi-desert of western Kazakhstan

Close to the town of Shetpe in Western Kazakhstan lies the Valley of Balls – or Torysh, as it is known in Kazakh. It consists of numerous ball-like rock formations strewn across a wide range of... »

Natural Wonders, Martian Landscapes, Geological Oddities | Edited by Tawsam, Rachel and others

Mogila Malay, Kazakhstan

Kaindy Lake

Submerged trees jut ghost-like out of an idyllic turquoise mountain lake

Kaindy Lake is an idyllic mountain lake in Kazakhstan’s portion of the Tian Shan Mountains, close to the country’s largest city, Almaty. The lake was formed after an earthquake in 1911, which... »

Natural Wonders, Watery Wonders, Geological Oddities | Edited by Tawsam and Rachel

Astana, Kazakhstan

Khan Shatyr

Entertainment Center in a Huge Transparent Tent

The new Kazakh capital city of Astana is dotted with remarkable pieces of modern architecture, of which Khan Shatyr is the crowning jewel. A huge transparent tent, 150 m high and covering 140,000... »

Architectural Oddities | Edited by Tawsam and atimian

Astana, Kazakhstan

Palace of Peace and Reconciliation

Iconic pyramid from famed British architect Norman Foster designed to represent all of the world's religious faiths

Built between 2004 and 2006 in Kazakhstan's capital city of Astana, the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation (also known as the Palace of Peace and Accord) is one of the world's most impressive... »

Architectural Oddities, Curious Places of Worship | Edited by Nicholas Jackson

Kosmodrom Baykonur, Kazakhstan

Baikonur Cosmodrome

World's oldest and largest space launch facility, once a secret missile testing site

"Dear friends, known and unknown to me, my dear compatriots and all people of the world! Within minutes from now, a mighty Soviet rocket will boost my ship into the vastness of outer space. What I... »

Strange Science, Instruments of Science, Retro-Tech | Edited by Trevor and Dylan

Kazakhstan

Aral Sea

Rusting ships sit in a desert where a sea used to be

A man made environmental disaster has left a once-great sea dry, the land polluted, and the locals inundated with disease. The destruction of the Aral Sea is a strange legacy of the US Civil... »

Watery Wonders, Ghost Towns, Disaster Areas, Long Now Locations | Edited by Annetta, Dylan and others