Things to do & places to visit in Kyzylorda Province, Kazakhstan

Kyzylorda Province #14 destination in Kazakhstan 2023. The average rating score is 4.51 based on 92 traveler reviews, of 22 attractions. Timezone: Asia/Qyzylorda, current date and time: Friday, May 10, 2024, 6:31.

Kyzylorda Province Weather Statistics view more »

General weather summary in May

84°F - 54°F

Temperature Highs - Lows

Mildly cool and breezy

Feels like

Chance of rain

17.0 millimeters

Amount

16.5 mph

Wind speed

32%

Humidity

14.8

Daylight length

5:10 AM

Sunrise

7:58 PM

Sunset

66%

Cloud cover

T-shirt

What to wear

Top things to do (15)

Top destinations in Kyzylorda Province 4

Top places to visit (22 attractions)

5.0 Baikonur rocket launch tour by Baikonur.travel (11 reviews)
- Pretty impressive trip
Multi-day Tours • Private Tours • Day Trips

Soviet engineers really knew their space stuff! The launch is by far the main event, but quite a lot to see around. Museum tours have the obligatory soviet propaganda guide giving general info, but as a tech nerd, I woulda liked even more detail, i.e. when in front of a rocket engine. Which of the parts is the preburner? Get a Kazakstan SIM card, Beeline, not K-Cell, and you have higher chances of being able to google. So much interesting stuff I wanted to google more all the time :) See more..
5.0 Our Lady of Kazan Orthodox Church (2 reviews)
- The only orthodox church in town
Spent < 1 hour Points of Interest & Landmarks • Religious Sites • Churches & Cathedrals

The Orthodox Church was built between 1890-1895 and is one of the oldest buildings in Kyzlorda. The first church on this site was a tent in 1855. It was replaced by a mud brick building in 1863, but this was destroyed by rain in 1868. As with other religious buildings, it was closed in the 1930's.The church was used for different purposes, and most recently was the regional museum until 1982. The church became active again in 1989, but most of it's murals were lost over time. It has undergone extensive renovations since, and is a must see when visiting Kyzlorda. There is an attractive bell tower with silver orthodox cross atop. The main doors also had an attractive pattern of crosses. It was closed when we visited, so we were only able to take photos of the exterior.The shop near to the church, which is in a Russian styled building, was built in the 1870's. The building of the new museum and the Atbai Mosque are the other old structures in the city which really stand out. There are a few old Russian houses in the section behind the church. Directly in front of the the church in a small park, is a monument to Red Army soldiers, with a reference of the year 1919.The town park is a short walk north east of the church, and it has an interesting sculpture at the entrance. See more..
5.0 Zhaina Mall (1 review)
- Можно найти все
Friday: 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM Shopping Malls
Большой выбор продуктов питания,телефонов,смартфонов,бытовой техники,мебели все что угодно.Есть большая парковка. See more..
4.5 Museum of Baikonur Cosmodrome History (56 reviews)
- This is the real cosmodrome experience
Spent 1-2 hours Speciality Museums

You can only go on a pre-booked, authorised tour and it is expensive but you actually tour the real cosmodrome and can go to a real launch site. Security is high so you are vetted in advance and must take your passport to prove your identity. Get your timing right and you may even see a launch, we didn't but the whole complex is so interesting anyway. Yes you are carefully escorted and there are places you cannot photo but we were taken close to a launch pad and could even stand on the premarked footprints where cosmonauts stand before going aboard. We were allowed in one of the now disused control centres where you could 'play' with the controls. Being on an arranged tour we had a modest lunch provided before exploring the exhibits in the main building. A small shop allows you to buy a space souvenir if you wish but you need roubles as this is a Russian enclave in Kazakhstan. A very different experience and one we thoroughly enjoyed. See more..
4.5 Central Square (3 reviews)
- Large Square with impressive fountain
Historic Sites • Points of Interest & Landmarks • Historic Walking Areas

We were a little disappointed with Central Square, as it didn't have many attractions or activities. The highlight of the square is the fountain which is a great photo op with the drama theatre in the background. There is a bust and a few murals in the southern section of the square. The gardens are well maintained also. It is a very busy area, as many buses have a route on Zheltoqsan Street which runs parallel to the Square. Other attractions nearby include the canals on Bayseyitov Street, and the Regional Museum and Batyrkhan Shukenov Park on Auzenov Street. The park is accessible 24 hours and free of cost. See more..
4.5 Korkut Ata Monument (2 reviews)
- Monument to the Book of Korkut Ata
Friday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Spent < 1 hour Monuments & Statues

The Korkut Ata Monument is also known as the Saber of the Syr Darya. The monument is located on the banks of the Syr Darya in a section that offers great views. There is a small park nearby where you can relax and view the monument.It is probably best approached from Kunaev street, as the monument faces in this direction. To the top left of the monument is the figure 1,300 which signifies that it is in celebration of the 1,300th anniversary of the Book of Korkut Ata. The monument comprises three tiled panels with a semi-circular segment near the top. They are joined at the top by a circle which represents the top of a yurt i.e. kobyz. In the circular space is a sculpture of Korkut Ata, astride a camel. The main character Dede Korkut, or "Grandfather Korkut", is a well known medicine man and musician. There are twelve main stories in the book, which relate to warriors and great battles. The stories contain morals and values which are consistent with the nomadic lifestyle, This book is very popular in Turkey and Central Asia. You can view the river after visiting the monument. The Russian Orthodox Church and Red Army memorial are less than a ten minute walk north on Toktybayeva Street. There is a supermarket in an old Soviet building near to the church which is also a good photo op. See more..
4.5 Victory Park (2 reviews)
- Park with many monuments
Parks

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4.5 Aytbay Mosque (2 reviews)
- The oldest mosque in town
Spent < 1 hour Points of Interest & Landmarks • Religious Sites

The Aitbaya Mosque was built in 1878. The main entrance is on Korkyt Ata Street, but the mosque is actually easier to access from Kozhanova Street. It surprisingly survived Soviet times, although it was closed for long periods. It was restored recently, and is one of the main attractions in Kyzlorda. The brick construction and large blue dome are beautiful. The minaret is a unique shape, as it is a mix of octagonal and circular brickwork. It is not the most attractive structure as it appears to be slightly leaning. There were huge speakers in the opening near to the top. We were told an interesting story that there was a secret passage to the mosque through a well, which was used in Soviet times. The gardens around the mosque were well maintained and there were a few seating areas. We didn't enter the mosque.The Zhangir Khan monument is on the opposite side of the road to the rear of the mosque. The Askar Tokmagambetov is a short walk away on Kazybek Bi Street. See more..
4.0 Kyzylorda Region Museum (2 reviews)
- Good Museum
Friday: 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM, 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM Spent 1-2 hours History Museums

The Kyzlorda History Museum is located of Auezov and Tokmaganbetov Streets. The museum started in 1896, but was moved to this new location from where it has operated since 1985. The building was constructed in 1953.We were the only visitors and paid 500 tenge each for access. Photos may be taken. The staff didn't speak english but were very helpful as they directed us through the many exhibits.The museum is on two floors and many rooms. The opening display is the stuffed animals which was well presented. We were particularly interested in the displays of the town from it's original name,Ak Mechet, to being the capital of Kazakhstan. The railway photos were very good. At the top of the stairs is am interesting display of Kazakh musical instruments. We particularly enjoyed the WW2 section. There was a model yurt and many paintings and photographs on this floor.Our favourite was the picture of the flag raising on the Reich Chancellery in WW2. A small section was dedicated to "modern" Kazakhstan after independence. We spent a little over an hour here, but probably would have taken more time if the exhibits had english labels. This is a good place to start your tour of Kyzlorda. The museum is on the local bus route, so isn't too difficult to reach.It should be noted that it is closed for lunch between 1-3pm, so plan your visit carefully.Directly in front of the museum is a statue, and if you continue walking south on Auezov strret, then turn left on Ayteke Bi Street, this will lead to Central Square. The waterway which is one of the most recognisable symbols of the city, will be passed on this route. See more..
4.0 Aralsk History Museum (1 review)
Open now - 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Spent < 1 hour History Museums

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4.0 Aralsk Mosque (1 review)
- Beautiful Red Mosque
Spent < 1 hour Points of Interest & Landmarks • Religious Sites

The Aralsk Mosque is sometimes called the Red Mosque. It actually has an orange colour. There is a single central dome and a single tall minaret to the left. This architecture is traditional Kakakh. Each corner of the mosque has a .small minaret shape with dome.We thought that the tall minaret was the most beautiful part of the building.We visited early in the morning, but did not enter the mosque. We walked around the building and took a few photos. The mosque is a 10 minute walk from the Train Station on main street. A monument is directly across the road from the mosque. A short walk into town will lead to Central Square. See more..
4.0 Central Mosque Akmeshit-Syrdarya (1 review)
- The largest mosque in Kyzlorda
Spent < 1 hour Points of Interest & Landmarks • Religious Sites

The central mosque is located at the intersection of Abay and Sultan Beybarys Street. It is the largest mosque in Kyzlorda. We took bus # 11, as there is a bus stop in front of the mosque. It is painted white and has four minarets i.e. one at each corner of the structure. The minarets at the front are significantly higher than those at the rear. There are three blue domes, a large central dome and smaller domes on either side. Al minarets have blue tops. The speakers at the front of the mosque seemed a little out of place and detracted from the beauty of the entrance.We were used to seeing speakers in the minarets. We thought that the entrance was the most impressive area, as it had beautiful brown doors with gold designs. There were many blue designs around the arched doorway. The building beside the mosque had even more beautiful designs at the entrance and was far more colourful than the entrance of the mosque.This mosque seemed to have been opened recently, as the gardens and flowers beds still seemed a work in progress.There is a small park in front of the mosque with fountains. On the opposite side of the street is the monument to Zhalantos Bakhadur. Abay Street has many sculptures and parks, and I would advise walking north and enjoying the art. See more..
4.0 Zhalantos Bakhaduru Monument (1 review)
- Monument to a famous warrior
Friday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Spent < 1 hour Points of Interest & Landmarks • Monuments & Statues

Zhalantos lived between 1576-1656. He was a Kazakh Khan, and inherited the title from a long line of famous Khans. He was born near to Kyzlorda, and is also known as the Emir of Samarkand, Uzbekistan. He is famous for the battle against Iranian forces in 1646. His army consisted of both Uzbek and Kazakh soldiers, and numbered over one hundred thousand. After this battle he went on to win further glory in Afghanistan (Kabul), Iran (Mashhad) and Uzbekistan (Tashkent). A mausoleum was built in his honour in Samarkand, Uzbekesitan. The statue is located at the intersection of Abay and Sultan Beybarys Street. It is opposite the Central Mosque, so is in a very prominent position.We took bus # 11 which travels along Abay street, and stops in front of the mosque. The statue is in a small park, which has beautiful flowerbeds of red and green. The sculpture is on a brown tiled base and shows Zhalantos on horseback with the horse rearing up on it's hind legs. On either side of the sculpture is an impressive curved wall, that is semi-circular shape at the rear.The statue was installed here in 2010. It is one of three equestrian statues in Kyzlorda, the others being, Zhangir Khan opposite the Aitbaya Mosque and Zhankozha Batyr in front of the train station. The mosque is a must see if you are in the area, as it is a five minute walk across the road. There are many sculptures and parks on Abay Street, and I would advise that you walk in a nothern direction to enjoy the art. See more..
4.0 Gani Muratbayev Monument (1 review)
- Monument to a komsomol leader
Friday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Spent < 1 hour Points of Interest & Landmarks • Monuments & Statues

Gani Muratbayev lived between 1902-1925. He was the founder of Komsmol (youth communist) movement in Kazakhstan. He grew up in difficult circumstances, as he lost his family to typhus when he was a teenager. He eventually became the first chairman of Komosomol in the Central Asia region, uniting the Komsomol organizations of the Uzbek, Tajik, Turkmen, Kyrgyz Republic, with the Kazakhstan group.He died in Moscow of tuberculosis at the age of 22. His statue was originally in a prominent location in front of the train station, but was moved to the football stadium in 2014. The football stadium, which is the home of the popular local football club, FC Kaisar (the wolves), is named after him, and also the road next to the stadium.The statue is mounted on a tall brown tiled base, which has his name and the years of his life in gold lettering. A sign to the right of the monument, indicates that the stadium was built in 1953.There is a circular fountain behind the statue and a sculpture of a football. This area has many sports facilities, and is popular with the youth. We stayed at a hotel nearby, and there always seemed to be sporting activities taking place around the complex or in the nearby park. We were happy tat this statue which was from Soviet times was well maintained, as other older statues in town had been removed or had not been properly maintained. See more..
4.0 Zhankozha Nurmukhamedov Monument (1 review)
- Monument to a freedom fighter
Friday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Spent < 1 hour Points of Interest & Landmarks • Monuments & Statues

Zhankozha Nurmukhamedov id also known as Zhankozha Batyr. Batyr meaning hero. He lived between 1774-1860. He was born in a small village near to Aralsk, and gained fame in 1835 by leading an army against the Kokand Khans of Uzbekistan. He captured the fort and a few years later captured another at Khiva in Uzbekistan.The Russians had been slowly colonising Central Asia, and in 1845 took control of the Aralsk area. Zhankozha was one of the main resistance fighters of this time against Russian rule, and engaged the Russians in battle in 1856. Zhankozha's forces were defeated and he retreated to the Bukhara area of Uzbekistan. He returned to Kazakhstan two years later but was killed by political foes. The bronze statue is mounted on a tall brown tiled base, in front of the train station in 2014, to celebrate the 240th anniversary of his birth. It shows him on horseback with spear upraised, in a similar pose to the sculpture of Zhangir Khan which is near the Aitbaya Mosque. A mausoleum to Zhankozha is in the town of Ayteke-Bi, which is 120 km south east of Aralsk. We were familiar with the resistance against the Russians in southern Kazakhstan during the 1850's-1860's, as we had visited the monument to Bekmyrza Khan in Aralsk, who was a famous freedom fighter of this time. An interesting fact is that the monument replaced an old Soviet statue of Gani Muratbaev, which was moved to the football stadium.The train station behind the monument is itself an attraction, as it is one of the oldest buildings in town. If you walk directly south of the statue, the Victory Park, with many interesting monuments, will be seen. See more..
4.0 Town Park (1 review)
- Small park for children
Friday: 6:00 AM - 11:00 PM Spent < 1 hour Parks

The town park is located in a central area of town. It is at the intersection of Kazybek Bi Street, Konaev Street, and Jurba Street. There is an interesting sculpture at the entrance, which is titled "Heroes of the land".The sculpture is on a brown circular tiled base. It consists of four sculptures of persons in local dress facing in different directions. .The sculptures were of a warrior with sword and shield, a warrior with a bow and arrow, a lady in the act of releasing a dove and a man holding a Kobyz (Kazakh musical instrument). The park has quite a few benches and many trees. It is geared towards children, as there are many activities for the young. The highlight of the park is a huge ferris wheel. The Russian Orthodox Church and Red Army monument is a short walk away on Toktybaeva Street. This area also has quite a few old Russian houses, in particular the supermarket which was built in the 1870's.If you head north on Konaev Street, a short five minute walk will lead to Victory park, which has a monument dedicated to WW2 soldiers, an eternal flame and is also a great place to relax. See more..
4.0 Zhalantos Zhangir Khan Monument (1 review)
- Monument to a Great Military tactitian
Friday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Spent < 1 hour Points of Interest & Landmarks • Monuments & Statues

Jahangir Khan is recognised as the supreme Khan of the Kazakhs. He took over from his father after he died. Jahangir was captured in battle with the Dzhungars in 1635. He was released and sent home after signing a peace treaty with the Dzhungars. He became great friends with the ruler of Samarkand, Uzbekistan, named Zhalantos Bahadur. Jahangir gained fame as a military genius in 1643 when he fought the Dzhungars at the Battle of Orbulak. He used trench warfare to avoid open conflict with the enemy. This was the first record of trench warfare being used, which was a feature of the WW1 battles, hundreds of years later. The monument shows Jahangir on horseback with spear raised in his right hand. To the rear of the monument are fortress styled walls.There are a few benches where you can enjoy the monument, but no trees for shade. The monument is found at the intersection of Korkyt Ata Street and Kazybek Bi Street. It is on an "island" at this busy intersection, so care must be taken when crossing the road. Other nearby attractions are the Aitbaya Mosque just opposite the statue and the Askar Tokmagambetov monument, a short walk north of the statue. See more..
4.0 Monument to Askar Tokmagambetov (1 review)
- Monument to a great poet
Friday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Spent < 1 hour Points of Interest & Landmarks • Monuments & Statues

Askar Tokmagambetov lived between 1905-1983. He was born in Kyzlorda, and was a famous poet and writer. In 1928, he published his first poem, and in 1934, graduated from the Moscow Institute of Journalism. He gained fame during WW2 when he wrote poems that encouraged the fight against the Germans. Many of his poems were turned into songs.He also wrote drama and film script, and received many awards. A sculpture of his upper torso is located in front of the Regional State Philharmonic building, which is at the intersection of Kazybek Bi Street and Tokmaganbetov Street. The sculpture is on a brown pedestal which has a plaque with his name and the years that he lived. His hands are wrapped around a tulip, which he holds close to his chest.On either side of his monument are sculptures of dancers in flowing dresses, which are surrounded by lovely flowers. The History Museum, Batyrkhan Shukenov Park and canal are on Tokmaganbetov Street. if you walk south on Kazybek Bi Street, the Aytbay Mosque and Zhalantos Zhangir Khan monument will be seen. If you head north on Kazybek Bi Street, the town park which has many activities and a monument at the entrance will be seen. See more..
4.0 Batyrkhan Shukenov Monument (1 review)
- Monument to a famous singer from Kyzlorda
Friday: 6:00 AM - 10:00 PM Spent < 1 hour Points of Interest & Landmarks • Monuments & Statues

Batyrkhan Shukenov lived between 1962-2015. He was born in Kyzlorda, and was co-founder and lead singer of the popular music group A-Studio. He was the lead vocalist and saxophone player. The letter "A" in the group's name meant "Almaty" where the group began.He left the band in 2000 to try a solo career.In 2002, he did his first solo album "Native Land".In 2007, after release of his second album, "Live Warrior", he was asked to act as a culture adviser to the Kazakhstan President. He made six solo albums in total, but died of a heart attack at the age of 52. His statue is in the center of the park named in his honour. It is on a round pedestal and depicts him on bended knee with saxophone in hand. The park has a few other sculptures. It is well shaded and a great place to relax. The park is on Auzenov Street, near to the local history museum. This park used to be named Pioneers Park, and it had a statue of Lenin. This statue suffered the similar fate of many other Lenin statues in Kazakhstan, as it was moved. The building to the right of the park entrance, has two old sculptures of Soviet cosmonauts. A short walk East on Tokmaganbetova street will lead you to the famous canals of the city and Central Square is also nearby on Zheltoqsan Street, See more..
4.0 N. Bekezhanov Drama Theater (1 review)
Friday: 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM Theaters

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Saint George The Victorious Orthodox Church (0 review)
Churches & Cathedrals
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Aray Aquapark (0 review)
Friday: 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM Water Parks
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