Lake Issyk, Almaty Province, Kazakhstan
Today was my last full day. My flight tonight was going to be at 4am so I had a late check out at noon. I arranged to meet Andrey at 11.30 to give me more time to rest and spread the day out as I would have a long wait tonight for my flight.
First we were going to visit Nicholsky Cathedral several blocks from my hotel. When I arrived in Almaty the main Nevsky Cathedral had been closed for renovations and I didnt want to walk all the way to Nicholsky.
It was quite nice and as usual had a very interesting interior with the artwork and frescoes on every surface, ceiling, and corner.
Driving out of the city it was interesting seeing more of the city architecture. Most is not within walking distance so does require a driving tour.
Outside of town we stopped at a roadside vendor for some samsas. I also got a naan which tasted salty and was more like a cracker and snack food. I paid 280T (.75 cents).
Andrey paid for entry to the Golden Man museum. The area is surrounded by various burial mounds similar to the ones in Gyeongju Korea. There is even a description in Hangul writing linking the two together.
I remember seeing photos of being able to go inside one of the mounds but it wasnt at this site.
There was an outdoor stone circle which is a reconstruction of a sun dial.
The Saka Golden Man was discovered in the 1970s while digging for a road. He was a young Prince killed in one of his early battles and now the symbol of Kazakhstan.
2025-05-22