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THE SOUL OF KAZAKHSTAN { 211 images } Created 1 Jan 2023

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  • The Soul of Kazakhstan, book cover
    The Soul of Kazakhstan cover.tif
  • Vladimir Lukin, painter, Kazakhstan
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  • Embroidered Felt Rug, Abai Village, Kazakhstan
    98042312-12.tif
  • This Architectural model is one of the prposals for the new government center in Astana, which became Kazakhstan's capital in 1998.  The building concept was designed and developed by architect Bek Ibrayev and his staff.  Its composition is bas on principles of organized space use in ancient turkic and hunnish headquarters.  The "Senior Yurt," where decisions that affect the whole country are made, is kplaced in the center.  As in ancient times, the main axes of the proposed building are strictly oriented on a north-south, east-west basis to secure the patronage of the higher powers and bring well-being and good fortune to the country and its leadrs.
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  • The sacred mountain Khan-Tengri is know as "the Prince of Spirits."  Kazakhs revere this peak as a symbol of their ancient Tengri faith, which looks to the sky as the source of the great spirit.  It is the highest peak in Kazakhstan and the crown jewel of the Tien Shan Range, which are called the Celestial Mountains.  The upper third of the mountain is marble that glows red at sunrise and sunset.  The Tien Shan is the most northern range of the Himalaya Mountains.
    98081403-15-2.jpg
  • Nomads camped in a summer pasture (Dzhailyau) near Khan Tengri, 6994 meters, in the Tien Shan mountains.
    98081406-20-2.jpg
  • A Birch Grove offers Beauty and Solitude Near Sergeyevka in Northern Kazakhstan
    98072802-01.jpg
  • A forest of Tien Shan Firs stands tall in the Zailiisky Alatau mountain spur near Almaty, Kazakhstan
    98020212-21-2.jpg
  • Tien Shan mountains, Kazakhstan
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  • Fabled Shambhala is believed to be near Mount Belukha where the borders of Kazakhstan, Siberia, Mongolia and China meet.  Rises more than 4,500 meters (nearly 15,000 feet) in the Altai Mountains.
    98080603-21-2.jpg
  • Feather Grasses, like these near Sergeyevka, have grown for millennia only in the thin topsoil of the Steppes, some varieties are now scarce or endangered species.  The Steppes were covered in this ideal pasturage prior to the Soviet's misguided Virgin Land Reclamation policy of the 1950s under which nearly 25 million hectares (about 62 million acres) of northern Steppes were plowed up to plant wheat.
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  • The Altai Range that runs along Kazakhstan's northeastern border is noted for its rivers, waterfalls, springs and spectacular vistas. Mount Belukha, often shrouded in clouds, has its own persona that is steeped in history and religion.  It has witnessed Chingis Khan invading with 200,000 Mongols; and listened as the chants, songs and laments of shammans echoed off its sheer cliffs. Kazakhstan
    9808061017-2.jpg
  • This view from the Chilik road is of the Zailiisky Alatau, a spur of the Tien Shan range, Kazkahsta
    98050610-16-2.jpg
  • The sacred mountain Khan-Tengri stands along Kazakhstan's border with Kyrgyzstan and China.  At 6,995 meters (about 23,000 feet), it is only a few thousand feet lower than Mount Everest.  This image was made through the open window of a Kazakh Air Force high-altitude helicopter flying at 6,700 meters (about 22,000 feet).
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  • Camel Herder on a Steppe horse, Kazakhstan
    Kazakhstan.tif
  • Bactrian Camels crossing the Steppes in winter, Kazakhstan
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  • Fragrant grasses on the Kazakh Steppes, Kazakhstan
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  • Wild Steppe horses, southern Kazakhstan
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  • Zailiisky Alatau, Suh-Konyer, Kazakhstan
    98072204-17-2.jpg
  • Steppe horse, Bakanas, southern steppes of Kazakhstan
    98073006-50-2.jpg
  • Kazakhstan is dotted with 48,000 lakes, many small like this mirror-surfaced one at Ush-Konyr near Fabrichny
    98072210-19-2.tif
  • Deep gorge of Charyn Canyon runs for miles near the southern border with China.
    98043001-11-2.jpg
  • Kapat Sai, or Chalk Canyon, in the Manghstau region on the Caspian Sea is a rich archeological site for flint tools.
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  • The Ancient Silk Road that ran through Central Asia and Linked china with the countries of the Near East and Europe had three routes.  A Branch of it northern route followed the Ili River here in southeastern Kazakhstan
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  • Tulips covered with spring snow, Almaty
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  • The brilliant reds of the poppies, roses, tulips and carnations of spring and summer are a direct influence on the color palette of Kazakh art.  These poppies are near Ordabasy in Southern Kazakhstan.
    98050502-12-2.jpg
  • The apple was first domesticated in Kazakhstan.  These "Wild Apples," as they are formally named, grow in an ancient orchard at the Panfilovsky Farm outside Almaty.  They are believed to be remnants of primeval forests and are currently subjects of apple genetic studies.  Horticulturists believe seeds and cuttings from these orchards spread on ancient trade routes to the Middle East, Europe, and across the Bering Straits into North America.  The name Almaty translates as "Father Apple."
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  • Sunflowers in NE Kazakhstan, Ust-Kamenogorsk region.
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  • Wildflowers near Fabrichny, Kazakhstan
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  • Goldenrod around Petropaulovsk, Kazakhstan
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  • Tulip in Charyn Canyon, Kazakhstan
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  • Bolshoe Almatinskoe Ozero (Big Almaty Lake) in the Zailiisky Alatau is glacier fed.  It is a significant source of water for Almaty.  Its pur quality causes the surface to change with the light from pale to dark turquoise ove the course of the day
    97101607-01-2.jpg
  • Bukhtarma River Valley in the Katon-Karagai area in Eastern Kazakhstan is a verdant green landscape of wildflowers and wheat.  In neat villages, each house has an overflowing garden tucked next to it.  This area near the Altai Mountains is renowned for the luscious quality of the honey it produces.
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  • Caspian Sea rich in oil and Sturgeon. Source of world-famous Beluga Cavair, Kazakhstan
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  • Bayankol River Valley in the Tien Shan mountains, Kazakhstan
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  • Wild Apricot and Burberry near Almaty, Kazakhstan
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  • Tulips in an April snow shower, Panfilov Park, Almaty, Kazakhstan.
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  • The Shangiraq is the functional keystone that holds the yurt together.  But it also symbolizes the hearth of the home and the wheel of the sun.  The opening provides an observatory through which to read the stars and tell time: and spiritually, it directs one's attention to the sky and Tengri, the sky god.
    98050716-25-2.tif
  • The first step in assembling a yurt is to attach the lattice wall sections to the door frame as villagers are doing here in Shieli in  the Qizilorda region.  The door of a yurt always looks to the east so that the sun is the first visitor to the nomad's home.
    98050715-29-2.jpg
  • The first step in assembling a yurt is to attach the lattice wall sections to the door frame as villagers are doing here in Shieli in  the Qizilorda region.  The door of a yurt always looks to the east so that the sun is the first visitor to the nomad's home.
    98050720-23.jpg
  • The first step in assembling a yurt is to attach the lattice wall sections to the door frame as villagers are doing here in Shieli in  the Qizilorda region.  The door of a yurt always looks to the east so that the sun is the first visitor to the nomad's home.
    98050712-34-2.jpg
  • A Kazakh yurt in an apple orchard in southeastern Kazakhstan.
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  • Yurt schematic presentation, shows key elements of Shangiraq circle overhead, wood lattice walls and outside wall of Chi or reed mats.   Kasteyev Museum, Almaty, Kazakhstan
    98012714-29-2.tif
  • The Yurt is a unique structure, a physical and metaphorical expression of Kazakh nomadic life.  It is an oasis of life and color, a nuturing place of safety where family and friends come together.  It is ironic that the Yurt - a small, self-contained structure in the vastness of the steppes - has within it a generous spaciousness.  The Yurt is where art, life and nature merge.  The art style is marked by ornamental improvisation and reflects the passionate, open and joyful Kazakh personality.  The use of natural materials ordered by the human hand creates a harmony of colors and shapes much like a flower arrangement.  To live inside a Yurt is to live inside art.  Central State Museum, Almaty, Kazakhstan
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  • Silk and velvet Yurt roof strap
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  • Silk and velvet Yurt roof strap
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  • Yurt display in the Aqtau Museum in Kazakhstan
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  • Elementary student during afternoon nap at the Archimed school in Almaty, Kazakhstan
    98012202-18-2.tif
  • These mischievous-looking boys live in the village of Akmaral in Katon-Karagi in northern Kazakhstan whre red deer known as Maral are raised.  The velvet harvested frm the antlers of these animals is an expensive ingredient in some oriental medicines.
    98080607-25.jpg
  • Manap Mykhanova, a matriarch in Shieli village in the Qizilorda region.
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  • Kazakh language student, Arkhimed high school, Almaty, Kazakhstan
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  • Shadan Tonbetova, Kazakh matriarch in a Yurt, Shieli Village, Kazakhstan.
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  • Saule Iskakova, retired history  teacher,  Kegan, Kazakhstan
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  • Turlybayev Abulkhak, Master hunter with Golden Eagles,
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  • Ethnic Uyghur at the  Mukhtar Auezov festival in Almaty, Kazakhstan
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  • Graduate student Dana Makhatova doing research at the National Library, Almaty, Kazahstan
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  • Artist Pernegul Omarova creates historical dolls, Kazakhstan.
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  • Kazakh language student, Arkhimed high school, Almaty, Kazakhstan
    98012201-27-2.jpg
  • Kazakh World War II Veteran (Great War veteran) at the Auezov Jubilee Festival, Borli-Aul.
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  • Kazakh cadets from Baurjan Momysh-Uly military school attend a memorial ceremony at Panfilov Heroes Park in central Almaty.  The Glory Memorial with its eternal flame commemorates, among other heroes, 28 Kazakh soldiers who repulsed 50 Nazi tanks on the outskirts of Moscow in 1941 during The Great Patriotic War, as World War II is known.
    980130003-20-2.jpg
  • These female Bactrian camels can weigh 450 to 650 kilograms (1,450 Lb) and stand 190 to 230 centimeters (75 to 91 inches) tall at the hump. Bakanas, southern Kazakhstan
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  • Bactrian male camel in the Steppes of Kazakhstan. Winter with temperatures -24 f.
    98020711-21-2.tif
  • A Shaban, or shepherd, guides his flock through a mountain pass in Butakovka in the Zailiisky Alatau Mountains in Southern Kazakhstan
    9710040201-2.jpg
  • Zhumabai Mukhanov demonstrates traditional sheep shearing to Nursaltan Zhumabaev and Farida Sametova in the village of Shieli in Qiqiliorda.  The shears, called Kyryktyk, are the same as those used in other nomadic cultures.
    98050611-25-2.jpg
  • An elderly vendor carries her pail  full of Aport apples through a birch grove to sell by a roadside.  Aports come from orchards the Talgar district outside Almaty where trees that carry the genes of the first apples are still cultuvated.
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  • At 6:00 a.m. in the village of Shieli, tea is prepared in Samavars whil round balls of leavened dough called Bauirsaqs are deep-fried a golden brown.
    98050701-04-2.jpg
  • A basket of fragrant Aport Apples sits int the sun at Gornyi Sadovod Farm near Almaty, Kazakhstan
    97100205-01-2.jpg
  • The Dastarqan is a beautiful spread of food prepared and laid on a special tablecloth to welcome guests into the home, such as this one in the village of Shieli in Qizilorda
    98050803-05.jpg
  • A honey vendor at the Zelyony bazaar (the green market) in Almaty does her bookkeeping.  Kazakhstan has an astonunding variety of honey.  A profusion of wildflowers and blossoms produces some of the most flavorful honey in Central Asia and Russia.
    98080205-32.jpg
  • Modern methods dominate agriculture, but beautiful rural scenes like this family gathering hay near Petropavl can still be seen.
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  • Vendors of nuts, apricots, raisins and other dried fruits gateher in one area of the Zelyony bazaar in Almaty.  This market, on the route of the old silk road, is awash with colors, aromas and sounds.  Separate areas house vendors selling vegetables, honey, fruit, flowers, meat and fish, herbs and spices and dairy products.
    98080205-20-2.jpg
  • Welcoming guests into one's home, be it an urban apartment or a yurt in the Steppes, is considered an honor.  Kazak hospitality has evolved into a refined art.  This beautiful Dastarqan is in the home of Amangul Ikhanova and Zhangir Umbetov.  Artisans in Almaty. Kazakhstan
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  • This rare Balaban Falcon came to the attention of a wealthy Arab Falconer who offered Mr. Turlybayev, the "Eagle Man" $100,000 (about 750,000 Tenge) for it.  He turned the offer down, saying the Falcon belonged in Kazakhstan it home.
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  • The Akhal-Teke horse is believed to be the oldest purebred horse extant.  This legendary horse has been prized for centuries for its unparalleled stamina, speed, courage and beauty.  In 1935 Akhal-Tekes proved their extraordinary endurance in the famous 4,300 kilometer (2,700 mile) trek from Askqabat to Moscow, completed in 84 days, during this march they traveled 360 kilometers (225 miles) across the kara-kum desert in 3 days, virtually without water.  this spectacular demonstration convinced authorities to protect the purity of the breed.  In the 4th century B.C. Alexander the Great was stopped by Massagetae warriors mounted on Akhal-Tekes, and in the 2nd Century B.C. a Chinese emperor traded silk for these "Horses of Heavan."  Here horsemen tend to their herd in the Lugovoi district of the Zhambyl Region. Kazakhstan
    98073007-06-2.jpg
  • Kazakh Steppe horses have legendary endurance and serve many needs.  They are ridden, raced, and used in draft and are also a source of meat and the milk from which kumiss is made.  They can travel 200 kilometers (124 miles) a day with ease and survive tempratures as low as -40 degrees fahrenheit.  This herd is on the Steppes near Bakanas outside Almaty, Kazakhstan
    98073001-32-2.jpg
  • The black horse at the fron tof this herd in the Lugovoi district is Maydonle, the grand-daughter of Absent, the most successful horse in Olympic history.  Absent won a gold medal, a silver medal and two bronze medals in dressage at three separate olympic games in the 1960s.  Maydonle stood apart from the herd and signaled the others with a variety of sounds.  When it was time to cross the stream, she neighed and let them down the hill.
    97101319-07-2.jpg
  • A pindly legged colt follows a Kazakh horseman toward home near the village of Chilik in the Seven Rivers Area, Kazakhstan
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  • Arguvan, Grandson of Absent, an Olympic Champion Akhal-Teke horse in the Lugovoi district.  Absent was the most successful horse in olympic history winning a gold medal, silver medal and two bronze medals in dressage at three separate Olympic games in the 1960's.
    97101311-28-2.jpg
  • Qiz Quu, or 'chasing the girl,' is another well-loved horseback game in Kazakhstan.  If the boy wins the race, he gets to kiss the girl on the ride back to the starting line.  if the girl wins, she gets to "whip" the boy on the ride back.  This game took place in the village of Zhibebai.
    97092409-23-2.jpg
  • Competitor in the game of Qiz Quu "chasing the girl".  This game took place in the village of Zhidebai, Kazakhstan
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  • Tenge-Alu, or "Picking up Coins," is a game in which a handkerchief is filled with money and placed on the ground.  A skilled rider gallops at breakneck speed, leans down and tries to snatch up the prize. Shieli
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  • Kazakh horsemen have earned a reputation as skilled and powerful riders that stretches back generations and millennia.  Children start riding when they are around three years old.  In this Bayge contest, young men race each other over rugged terrain for a preset distance. Furious, wild, exuberant and fearless - these are the characteristics of Kazakh horsemanship.
    98050711-01-2.jpg
  • Kokpar is a dramatic game in which two groups of 15-20 riders each struggle to keep possession of a two-year-old headless goat.  The winning team is awarded a feast of the goat.  It is also known as Buzkashi, anda a variation is to try to propel the goat carcass from the place of the competition to one's own home.  The game is played on special occassions like this festival in the village of Zhidebai, and is another contest  that was traditionally intended to strengthen a warrior's skills.
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  • In Audarispaq, the goal is to pull your opponent out of his saddle.  Many of the games, such as this wrestling match on horseback in Shieli, were originally intended to improve one's strength and ability as a warrior.
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  • Horse racing with steppe horse, Shiele Village, Kazakhstan
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  • Abdulkhak Turlybayev is known as 'The Eagle Man' because of his mastery of these magnificent creatures.  Kazakhs call men like Mr. Turlybayev 'Qusbegi,' or 'Lord of the Birds.'  Watching him work with his eagle quickly made me understand that what he has and feels transcends 'skill' - it rises to 'relationship.'  Kazakhs revere the golden eagle in part because they fly so high and close to the sun.  Pilots have reported seein them as high as 20,000 feet.
    98020509-26-2.jpg
  • Abdulkhak Turlybayev is known as 'The Eagle Man' because of his mastery of these magnificent creatures.  Kazakhs call men like Mr. Turlybayev 'Qusbegi,' or 'Lord of the Birds.'  Watching him work with his eagle quickly made me understand that what he has and feels transcends 'skill' - it rises to 'relationship.'  Kazakhs revere the golden eagle in part because they fly so high and close to the sun.  Pilots have reported seein them as high as 20,000 feet.
    98020507-17-2.jpg
  • Golden Eagles- Called Burkit in Kazakh-are trained by their owners from the time they are chicks to be hunters.  This one measures more than 104 centimeters (41 inches) from the tip of its bill to the end of its tail.  Its wing span measures two meters, or more than six feet.  These powerful birds can kill deer, fox and wolves.  Once plentiful in Central Asia, they are now becoming rare. Kazakhstan
    9802070104-2.jpg
  • Abdulkhak Turlybayev is known as 'The Eagle Man' because of his mastery of these magnificent creatures.  Kazakhs call men like Mr. Turlybayev 'Qusbegi,' or 'Lord of the Birds.'  Watching him work with his eagle quickly made me understand that what he has and feels transcends 'skill' - it rises to 'relationship.'  Kazakhs revere the golden eagle in part because they fly so high and close to the sun.  Pilots have reported seein them as high as 20,000 feet.
    98020502-21-2.jpg
  • These scenes in Zenkov Cathedral reflect the fact that faiths of all peoples are once again free to be practiced and are drawing people back to islam, christianity, judaism, shamanism, sufism, tengrism and zoroastrianism throughout the country.
    98041902-01.jpg
  • These scenes in Zenkov Cathedral reflect the fact that faiths of all peoples are once again free to be practiced and are drawing people back to islam, christianity, judaism, shamanism, sufism, tengrism and zoroastrianism throughout the country.
    98040110-02-2.jpg
  • Svyato-Voznesensky cathedral is commonly called Zendkov cathedral after it builder, Andre Zenkov.  The Russian Orthodox edifice is in Almaty's Panfilov park.  Its construction, begun in 1904, is entirely of wood without the use of nails.  It was used as a natural history museum during the Soviet Era.  At 56 meters ( 184 feet)  its one of the tallest wooden buildings in the world.  It survived the earthquake of 1911 that devastated Almaty.
    98022002-25-2.jpg
  • A young girl watches the end of a wedding ceremony while waiting for her baptism to begin in Zenkov cathedral, Almaty Kazakhstan.
    98080804-25-2.jpg
  • A table is laden with bread and eggs at the christmas service of christ the savior,  a parish church in Almaty, for a "Good News" service before Easter.
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  • Today one can see striking images of Church and State in tolerance of each other.  One example is the sharing of important events like this commemorative ceremony for fallen world war II warriors at the Glory Memorial in Panfilov Park, Almaty, Kazakhstan.
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  • Akhmed Yasavi bathhouse, Shymkent, Kazakhstan
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  • Parishoners bring cakes and decorated eggs to be blessed at Russian Orthodox Easter services.
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  • This handsome, modern mosque in Almaty was given to the people of Kazakhstan by Egypt and its President, Hosni Mubarrak.  The Egyptians also are helping plan an islamic university complex around the mosque.
    98051402-11-2.jpg
  • This handsome, modern mosque in Almaty was given to the people of Kazakhstan by Egypt and its President, Hosni Mubarrak.  The Egyptians also are helping plan an islamic university complex around the mosque.
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