EL.KZ Информационно-познавательный портал
American journalist Jennifer Mueller shared her impressions of a trip to Mangystau, Kazakhstan, introducing readers to the region’s unique natural landscapes, its rich geological history, and cultural heritage, El.kz cites Washington Post.
According to journalist, the surreal canyons of Mangystau rival U.S. national parks.
"The valley we were looking across was once submerged under the prehistoric Tethys Ocean. Then, the land shifted. Pangaea broke up, the waters retreated, and the elements worked for millennia to shape fossil and rock into massive geological formations. In every direction, great fins of rock, sprawling mesas and crenulated domes thrust up from a bleached plain" the article reads.
It is noted that this is a land which has stood arid and empty for so long that millions of years of history are still in evidence. Visitors don’t have to look too hard to find fossilized mollusks, shark teeth and sea anemone scattered on the ground, mementos from when the Ustyurt Plateau lay deep underwater.
The article also describes the geological features of the region.
"In addition to the otherworldly spires of Bozzhira, where our Toyota demonstrated its vertical capabilities, intrepid visitors can brave the bare roads of Cape Zhigylgan, a miles-wide depression strewn with rocks the size of buildings. From a distance, it looks as if a giant once sat on the shore of the Caspian Sea and crushed the land beneath her" the author writes.
A special emphasis is placed on the another opportunity for high and low art comes in Torysh, or the “Valley of the Balls,” where hundreds of spherical rocks ranging from pebbles to boulders dot the landscape. Scientists still don’t agree on exactly how they formed; I prefer the local theory that the valley was the playroom of the gods.
"Perhaps the bigger mystery is how this region has flown under the radar for so long. Some visitors may be deterred by the desert conditions, remote locations or lack of infrastructure, though brief encounters with Russian, Chinese and Italian tourists suggest that Americans could just be late to the party" American journalist concludes.
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