KZBlog

For Nauryz, the Muslim/Turkish New Year celebration, we went up to Lake Burabai, a lake resort north of the city and I finally got to see the legendary Okzhetpes, the place where arrows cannot reach. The story is from the time of Ablai Khan, who had his headquarters on the shore of Burabai.

At the time, the Kazakhs were at war with the Oyrats–a more Mongolian tribe related to the Dzhungars and they took the daughter of an Oyrat khan captive. As was the custom at the time, it was decided that she should marry one of the Kazakh warriors, which was a standard thing to do with captured females. She was very beautiful and so many of the warriors wanted to marry her. But she didn’t want to be married, so she set the condition that she would stand on top of a rock high above the lake, holding a scarf and whoever could shoot the scarf out of her hand would be her husband. They agreed but no one could do it, as the princess had well expected. From that time the stone was called Okzhetpes or the place where arrows cannot reach. After it seemed that they would force her to marry one of the Kazakhs anyway, the woman jumped into the lake and transformed into the stone, Zhumbaktas or mystery stone.

Another variation says that the Oyrat princess had a favorite suitor, and that while he failed to shoot an arrow to the top of the rock the first time, the second time he did succeed. The other Kazakh warriors, however, were jealous and killed him. In her rage and sorrow, she threw herself into the lake.

For those who want to see these rocks, when you get to the village of Burabai head south down the main road along the lake, through the gate to the recreational zone/natural preserve. Zhumbaktas is unmissable, as the only stone that sits in the actual water. Okzhetpes rises above the lake on the other side of the road. A little further on, you hit an open pasture with a tall white pole topped by a metal eagle wings and a sun, marking the site of Ablai Khan’s campground.

For more on Nauryz, Silk Road Caravan has put together a downloadable Nauryz playlist and the Golden Road to Samarqand has a review of Nauryz food.