charyn.kz an independent guide to wild Kazakhstan

Seven Wonders of Kazakhstan: two lists and no confirmed result

We could not find an official result for the 2008–2009 contest. What exists are two different lists: early online leaders and a book by archaeologist Zainolla Samashev.

  • 5 places on the list
  1. 01 Turkestan The Yasawi mausoleum, the only site on both lists. Apr–May, Oct UNESCO since 2003 day trip
  2. 02 Tamgaly (Tanbaly) petroglyphs Bronze Age rock art, on Samashev's list. Apr–Oct 170–180 km from Almaty day trip
  3. 03 The Issyk kurgan and the Golden Man (Esik) The burial mound of the Golden Man, on Samashev's list. May, Sep–Oct 50–55 km from Almaty day trip
  4. 04 Beket-Ata underground mosque at Oglandy One of the underground mosques of Mangystau, on Samashev's list. Apr–May, Sep 280–285 km from Aktau 3+ days
  5. 05 Bayterek Tower in Astana The Astana monument, on Samashev's list. Jun–Aug 189 km line to Karaganda day trip

No official final list of the Seven Wonders of Kazakhstan could be confirmed. The record shows that the Alem Art foundation launched an online vote in 2008, extended it to March 2009, and that the websites were down by that August. The list most often quoted today comes from a book by scholar Zainolla Samashev, not from the vote.

The two lists

ListChosen byItemsStatus
Samashev’s bookScholars, from about 40 nomineesTamgaly, Golden Man, dombra, yurt, Yasawi mausoleum, Mangystau mosques, BaiterekBook cited in the press; year not found
Contest, first stageOnline voteYasawi mausoleum, Ascension Cathedral, Atyrau bridge, Balkhash, Baikonur, Charyn, MedeuInterim leaders, published by Karavan

Only the Yasawi mausoleum appears on both. Two of Samashev’s wonders, the dombra and the yurt, are not places at all.

What happened to the vote

The online vote drew more than 41,000 votes in four months. Press reports mention about 50 candidates in September 2008, and over 300 cut to 70 by January 2009. In January 2009 it was extended to 22 March with three categories: wonders of nature, national heritage, and modern treasures. Four ministries backed it. A Karavan columnist wrote that August that both sites showed a suspension notice. We found no later result.

How to visit

The cards at the top of the page link to full guides.

SiteGetting there
Yasawi mausoleumTurkistan, a day from Shymkent
TamgalyA day from Almaty
Issyk mound and National MuseumA day from Almaty, or in Astana
Beket-Ata, Shopan-AtaA long trip from Aktau
BaiterekCentral Astana

The interim contest list also named Charyn, Kolsai, Burabay and Altyn-Emel. For natural sites, see natural wonders, and for UNESCO, see the UNESCO list.

Not verified yet
  • We could not find an official final result or the publisher and year of Samashev’s book.

Frequently asked questions

What are the seven wonders of Kazakhstan?
The most repeated list comes from Samashev’s book: the Tamgaly petroglyphs, the Golden Man, the dombra, the yurt, the Yasawi mausoleum, the underground mosques of Mangystau and Baiterek. It was selected by scholars, not by a public vote.
Who won the contest?
We found no officially published result. Karavan reported in 2009 that the contest websites had been suspended, so we treat lists of winners on other sites as unconfirmed.
Which of these can I visit in one trip?
Tamgaly and the Issyk mound are both day trips from Almaty. The Yasawi mausoleum is a day from Shymkent. The Mangystau mosques need a long trip from Aktau.

Sources