Anomalous Zones of Kazakhstan

Dead Lake

In the area of the village of Gerasimovka, in the Taldykorgan region of Kazakhstan, there is a small lake – Dead Lake – measuring one hundred meters in length and sixty meters in width.

It is small in size, located in a mountainous area far from populated places, but despite the idyllic landscape surrounding it, the water body has a bad reputation.

The indigenous population living near Dead Lake believes it is cursed and tries to avoid the area, strictly forbidding their children from playing near it and, even more so, from entering the water and swimming. According to beliefs, anyone who enters the water may never come out, as the careless swimmers in the lake are dragged to the bottom by the dead, which is why entering the water is prohibited.

It is astonishing and sad that almost every year people drown in the Dead Lake. Locals try to avoid it and advise visiting tourists to do the same. However, tourists are known to tread where paths are uncharted!

For unknown reasons, even in the height of hot summer, the lake does not dry up, and the water remains icy. No algae grow in the lake, no fish inhabit it, and all types of aquatic insects are completely absent. Interestingly, mosquitoes and flies are also not found on the shore.

It is impossible to stay long in the waters of Dead Lake. A diver, even with a full tank, cannot last more than three minutes before mysteriously gasping for air and is forced to urgently surface.

It is assumed that a toxic gas is released from a fissure at the bottom of the lake, killing all living things. Most of those who drown in the Dead Lake are visitors who do not heed the advice of locals or simply know nothing about the mysterious properties of the enigmatic lake. Notably, the drowned do not float to the surface, as is usually the case after a few days, but stand at the bottom, straight as candles.

It has not been possible to explain exactly what happens in the vicinity of Dead Lake, but it can be confidently said that it is one of the mystical places on the planet, a kind of anomalous zone.

Location: Area of the village of Gerasimovka (Taldykorgan region)

Ungurtas "Navel of the Earth"

An extraordinary energetic place where people from different corners of the world come to recharge with the energy of the Earth and the Cosmos! It is unremarkable in itself: a bare steppe with hills, a small village, and a row of low trees growing along the riverbed. In the late 1990s, researchers discovered a powerful energy beam, about 8 meters in diameter, directed into the sky at the top of Mount Ungurtas. Shortly thereafter, in 2000, Professor Vyacheslav Bronnikov from the Moscow Institute of the Earth arrived here. After setting up special equipment, he confirmed the presence of an energy flow. At that time, specialists in parapsychology and esotericism noted that a natural phenomenon of such strength should positively influence a person's biofield – cleansing and strengthening it. Similar emissions are observed in Primorye, Karelia, Egypt, and Tibet.

At the site of the energy column's emergence, which has a diameter of eight meters, a stele with the inscription "Aydarly Aydakhar-Ata" has been erected. According to legends, it is here that the system of celestial coordinates connects with the earth's surface. Numerous pilgrims, as well as bioenergetics specialists, have dubbed Ungurtas the navel of the Earth. According to them, the miracles occurring here are limitless.

Descendants of Yasawi

The house at the foot of the mountain is always full of people. The flow of pilgrims does not cease, and in several rooms, up to 10 people often live simultaneously. There are also permanent residents: the guardians of Ungurtas, dervish Bifatima Daulatova and her assistant Berik Tastanov.

They consider themselves descendants of those who were fellow students of Ahmed Yasawi in the dervish school. The teacher of the first dervishes was the Sufi mentor Sheikh Arslan Bab. Legends passed down for many years say that Ahmed Yasawi once lived at the site of Ungurtas. Allegedly, at the age of 63, feeling the approach of life's sunset, he began to search for a calm, secluded corner. The ideal option was Ungurtas, where Sheikh Ahmed Yasawi spent the rest of his life in an underground cell. His relatives and numerous students settled near the underground dwelling, listening to the teachings and instructions of the sheikh. The place where the monastery stood is now called Aydarly Aydakhar-Ata.

Regular pilgrims to Ungurtas assure that Berik can help with many ailments. One of the main manifestations of his spiritual power and chosenness is that he can heal a person from epileptic seizures.

Bifatima Daulatova recognized the power and holiness of Aydarly Aydakhar-Ata in December 1999. In her opinion, it was the will of Allah, aided by her gift of clairvoyance. Bifatima can read and speaks only in Kazakh. However, according to locals, her powerful gift of clairvoyance gives her a unique ability to help people of any nationality and faith.

Before going up the mountain, Bifatima performs a kind of ritual related to water. It is believed that otherwise, the mountain will not let you pass. There have been cases when the hospitable Ungurtas refused to accept people. The boundary in this case became the so-called gates. A stone shaped like a book calls everyone to stop before it.

"Kneel and pray. For you are ascending the Mountain of Reason," reads the inscription. But not everyone can pass beyond the gates. One may experience a headache, blurred vision, and shortness of breath. In this case, one must return and "cleanse their energy." People describe their sensations differently at the moment when they could not pass to the mountain.

Some perceive a thick wall that it makes no sense to break through. Others speak of a sensation of chains that bind their hands and feet, preventing them from moving further. Ungurtas is capricious; it cannot be tamed or subjected to human will.

At the very gates stands a small pillar. According to knowledgeable people, it is here that energy concentrates, capable of healing reproductive organs. Women who cannot conceive come to sit on it.

After visiting, infertility disappears, and the next time women return with rosy-cheeked babies. Meanwhile, the guardians of Ungurtas warn that the stone transmits such strong energy to the feminine principle that young girls are advised to be extremely cautious – the likelihood of conception increases several times.

Magical Stones

Each of the caves of Ungurtas is a unique place with its own energy and healing properties unique to it. Often, visitors know which organ of the human body corresponds to a particular opening in the rock.

It makes sense to linger near the stone or opening that corresponds to the ailment troubling you. To some walls of the caves, it is enough to lean against, and from the cold, seemingly, stones warmth begins to emanate, penetrating into every cell of the body.

Back pain, headaches, the evil eye – people coming to Ungurtas wish to cleanse their bodies of all ailments. The cave where one can rid themselves of ancestral curses and damage is particularly popular.

Rolling across the land from one edge to the other, you leave behind all the negativity accumulated over generations, and emerge renewed and "clean."

One of the most famous and "powerful" caves is called the Dragon's Wing. In the western part of the mountain, there is a through opening through which an invisible film flows. It is believed that passing through it is very beneficial for cleansing.

People experience a variety of emotions in these caves. Strong and resilient men suddenly begin to cry like children. Women fall into depression or, conversely, feel enlightened.

Ungurtas is for believers. The energy of the mountain only acts favorably when a person lives in harmony with themselves and the Almighty. An important condition for staying on the mountain is the knowledge of prayers. It does not matter what your faith is; you must read the prayers addressed to your Almighty.

The culmination of the journey to Ungurtas is the ascent to Aydarly Aydakhar-Ata, which is located at the very top of the mountain. It represents an energy column with a diameter of 8 meters. "The place of emergence from the earth of the energy flow directed into the sky, which cleanses, replenishes, and strengthens the human energy field," is stated in the official explanations.

In March 2000, Professor V. M. Bronnikov from the Moscow Institute of the Earth came for research. Using various methods and equipment, he was able to record a truly very strong energy output from the earth. The energy flow directed into the sky positively affects the human biofield – cleansing and strengthening it. It was there that a monument was erected. One can stay near the column for only 15 minutes, especially on the first visit. Newcomers often experience headaches, joint pain, and weakness throughout their bodies the next day. But then it passes, and the body feels the emergence of new strength.

Location: the village of Ungurtas, 100 km from Almaty

Ustyurt Plateau

A desert area between the northern part of the Caspian Sea and the Aral Sea, rich in anomalous zones and traces of ancient civilizations. UFOs appear here quite often, more frequently than the average in Asia. Examples include numerous observations made by qualified specialists:
On a summer night in 1974, on the way to Ustyurt, a group in two cars (a total of 5 people, including V.D. Sidorov) noticed a strange object in the clear sky on the western side. It was moving from west to east across the northern part of the sky. A self-luminous bluish misty translucent shell was observed, sharply defined in front and on the sides by a brighter white outline (a parabola) and blurred at the back.

Its length was up to a third of the sky. Inside the shell at the front was a body resembling a parachute (or an electric lamp), which swayed back and forth (its angular size was approximately 5 times smaller than that of the moon). The angle of elevation was 45-50 degrees. The head of the shell was about 0.5 degrees in size. The object moved away without going beyond the horizon. The witnesses were frightened by the "terrifying sight." The observation lasted about 20 minutes. The "parachute" glowed very brightly, brighter than the moon, appeared shiny and of the same color as the outline of the shell...

On August 11-12, 1979, at 2-3 PM near Soksor on the Ustyurt Plateau (Mangystau region), observer Satikov Galdynbek Uralbekovich saw a crescent-shaped cloud of smoky color laser slightly less than the moon, strictly in the western direction from the camp of party No. 2, that is, above the center of Soksor.

The cloud was located at an altitude of 15 degrees above the horizon, bulging downwards. Above the center of the cloud, a dark spot unrelated to it was visible. The edges of the cloud were blurred. The sky was completely cloudless, and a strong wind was blowing. However, during the observation, which lasted about 30 minutes, the cloud remained in one place. The observer left and then looked again, but the object was no longer there.

Location: between the northern part of the Caspian Sea and the Aral Sea

"Singing" Mountain

The Singing Mountain is a huge sand dune that is over three kilometers long and about two hundred meters high. This dune has grown on the riverbank of the Kazakh river Ili.

The Singing Mountain is the most mystical place in Kazakhstan. At times, a deep rumble of high vibration arises here, very similar to the roar of a jet engine. The sound can be heard from several kilometers away, and over time it begins to increase, causing the ground to vibrate.

To this day, it has not been determined where and when this mountain grew in the middle of the steppe. Some scientists believe that the hill was formed by wind blowing sand from the river valley. Locals claim that the dune moves across the steppe, although this has not been reliably proven by scientists. Among local elders, there is a legend that the remains of Genghis Khan lie beneath the mountain, the burial place of which has not been established to this day.

Others, however, believe that the devil himself has hidden under the hill from the wrath of the Lord. He was able to hide but cannot escape. That is why he howls every night, angrily flicking his tail. Indeed, the southern side of the hill is more gentle and resembles a tail. This side can change its position depending on the direction of the wind.

All the slopes of the mountain are overgrown with saxaul, but besides it, nothing and no one lives here. If you dare to walk along the upper ridge of the dune, you can hear its famous song.

Location: at the southwestern shore of Lake Baskunchak (Eastern part of the Kapchagay Reservoir)

KOK-KOL Lake

A water body with strange physical properties in the Zhambyl region (southern Kazakhstan), near and within which numerous anomalous phenomena have been repeatedly observed. Although no river or stream flows into or out of the lake, the water in it remains constantly clear and fresh, leading hydrologists to think of an unknown system of underwater caves existing here. This is also indirectly supported by observations of scientists who have recorded the sudden appearance of large whirlpools on the previously calm water surface, sucking floating objects into an unknown place. According to ancient Turkestan legends, Kok-Kol is bottomless, and indeed, in some points of the lake, hydrological studies have failed to detect a bottom.

The same legends assert that a "water spirit Aydakhare" lives in the depths of the lake, whose appearance on the surface has allegedly been observed many times both in ancient times and in our century. Local shepherds have repeatedly seen how a huge creature dragged waterfowl and drinking animals under the water. Kazakh local historian A. Pechersky confirmed the existence of some creature in the lake, having once witnessed its emergence from the depths and described it as a gigantic snake over 15 meters long and a head a meter wide. A much larger number of eyewitnesses claim to have heard the voice of the monster: "sometimes a quiet hissing with a whistle, sometimes a deep prolonged roar."

Skeptics, however, assert that such sounds can also be produced by a water tornado sucking in air.

Location: Zhambyl region.

Barsakelmes Island

A possible anomalous place located in the northwestern part of the Aral Sea, a small island (>27x12 km), the size of which is constantly increasing due to shallowing. In the 1980s, the area of the island was 133 square kilometers, but soon the shallowing of the shores accelerated. The Barsakelmes Nature Reserve was established on the island in 1939, covering an area of 20,000 hectares, where saigas, dzheyrans, kulan, and desert vegetation thrive.

Barsakelmes was called the most "closed" reserve in the entire Soviet Union. It was practically impossible to get here due to strict access control.

According to researcher Mikhail Antonov, 60 kilometers from Barsakelmes, on Vozrozhdenie Island, a secret biological weapons laboratory was opened by the Soviet government at one time. As a result of testing harmful substances, the residents of neighboring villages suffered.

What happened to the island afterward remains a mystery to this day. Such conspiracies have given rise to rumors and incredible guesses about the phenomena occurring on the island. Typically, these stories mainly feature tales of mysterious disappearances of people.

A large number of legends and tales have been woven around the island, speaking of strange and incomprehensible events related to the alteration of the normal flow of physical Time. Locals claim that in past centuries, fugitives, having stayed on the island for just a few years, would return to their aging relatives after... decades; entire families disappeared without a trace here, one of the reasons for their demise being the appearance on Barsakelmes... of a prehistoric(!) flying lizard (a tooth from the fresh skeleton of the lizard is attached to their numerous "tales").

Modern expeditions have also disappeared here. In one of them, people, having walked just half an hour from the shore in "white mist," returned to find that they had been gone... for a day! It should be noted that some of the information about Barsakelmes found in the press was fabricated by a science fiction writer and then picked up by ufologists as "reliable news." The reasons for the anomalies on the island are still debated. Contactee Vallerill Antonovich ZAPREDILNY from Almaty, who visited Barsakelmes in the 1960s, believes that the anomalies occurring on the island are a result of atomic testing. Most other contactees, of course, "blame" extraterrestrial interference...

Despite such anomalous stories, the Barsakelmes National Reserve is still considered one of the main treasures among the nine protected natural sites of Kazakhstan. This mysterious area attracts many researchers from different countries of the world with its haunting beauty.