Watch movie about Kazakhstan:
Tein Shan Mountains, Kazakh Traditional Games, Natural Resorts, Horses, Festivals and Games,
Astana & Almaty sites, Alatau Mountains, Welcome to Kazakhstan

Kazakh People (Kazak, Qazaq, Quazaq).
Kazakh people look like a nice combination of Europeans and Asians...Learn more

Kazakh Traditions.
Wedding rituals. Bride was the first to enter the yurt. She had to cross the threshold with her right foot and kick the left side of the yurta with the same foot. Groom followed, doing the same. A similar ritual existed among many Turkic and Persian-speaking peoples in Central Asia - bride and groom tried to step on each other feet after entering the yurta. The be first in stepping on her/his foot was meant to win a dominating role at home...Learn more

Raising Children.
Naming a baby. Kazakhs believe that the name of a person foretells and determines his/her future. Children were named by the names of their famous fathers and ancestors, with the names like Zhanibek, Abylai, Abai, Ybrai, or Shokan. There are also wishing names like Mynzhasar (live a thousand years), Zhuzbai ( a hundred years), and Toksanbai (ninety years) indicating the wish for a long and wealthy life. But there are also so-called «unpleasant» names like Kushikbai (puppy) or Ayubai (bear). This tradition has an explanation to it. In old times, when the medical knowledge was limited and life conditions were tough, babies death rate was quite high. Nomadic people tended to blame the evil forces and spirits for it. The idea was to give funny or strange names to babies (people would laugh when hearing them) as protection from evil spirits or evil people. An evil person or spirit would be distracted by the name of the child rather that pay attention to the child itself. This was common in families where babies had not survived. For this reason babies were also named Tursyn (may he live) or Toktasyn (may he stay). Families that had no boys gave the name to a girl with a certain wishful meaning: Ultuar, Ulbolsyn (may she be followed by a boy)...Learn more

Kazakh National Games.
Horses played a very important role for Kazakh people. Catch The Girl is a traditional horseracing game played in a large open field by a young girl and a young man. A landmark is set up at the racing distance as a finishing post. The girl begins the race by whipping her partner and galloping away towards the landmark. The man starts chasing her. If he succeeds in catching up with her before she reaches the landmark, he wins the right to embrace and kiss the girl while both are riding. Otherwise, the girl whips the «clumsy» man all the way back to the starting point. Usually, if the girl is interested in the young man, she chooses to slow down her horse for him to catch up with her. This game is a peculiar spectacle that draws crowds just as any other stage scene...Learn more