Discover the beauty and wonders of Kazakhstan
In the 18th century, Kazakh warriors led by batyrs Olzhabai and Zhasybay defeated the Dzungars in the Bayanaul forests. Legend has it that Zhasybay was treacherously killed by an enemy archer, and his ashes rest on a hill named in his honor. Another legend links three brothers - Olzhabay, Kenzhebay and Zhasybay - who competed in throwing stones from the pass. The water that seeped from under the stones of the brothers formed a lake named in honor of batyr Zhasybay, and the place became known as the Island of Love.
Ancient legends tell of the breeding of a special breed of horses in the region. When the horses began to disappear, the locals decided to catch the thief and set up a night ambush. One of the guards, who had not fallen asleep, noticed a fearsome old woman emerge from the ground, taking the best horses with her. The young man, determined to save his people, fought the witch all night. His strength was at an end, but before dawn the old woman turned to stone. People believe that if there is much evil in the world, the old witch may return, so one should approach this stone with pure and good thoughts.
The girl Akbet Burkitbaeva falls in love with a poor shepherd, which does not suit her parents. Her father agrees to marry the rich groom, and the young people try to escape, but they are betrayed. The young man is executed and the girl is sent under house arrest. She begs her aunts to let her go to the grave of her lover, where she swears eternal loyalty to him. She then climbs the mountain named after her and throws herself down, symbolizing her devotion and strength of feeling. White-faced Mountain becomes a silent witness to this story, welcoming the dawns as a symbol of hope and fidelity.
The locals call this Atbasy cliff - Horse's Head. Indeed, above the cliff rises a stone very much resembling the head of a horse, looking somewhere far away, beyond the horizon. One of the legends about this cliff is connected with the name of batyr Dzhasybay. In one of the battles the warrior was wounded, bleeding, he fell to the ground. Dzhasybay's warhorse feared nothing; neither hoof blows, nor merciless teeth of enemy horses, nor clang of hardened steel, nor death cries of people. But the smell of the batyr's blood frightened him. He rushed through the thicket to the lake, then began to climb up the rock, and when he reached the top, Dzhasybai died. At the same moment the bogatyr's horse turned to stone from grief.....
