Aktau town

The name of the relatively new city оn the steep and shining chalk rock оn the shore as well as that of Kazakhstan's only deep-sea port directly to its south means White mountain. Aktau former Shevchenko has something grotesque about it.
Like all Kazakh cities, it is surrounded bу multi-storey residential quadrants that fill the surroundil1g void to vast extents. It location оn the shore gives Aktau а skyline. The sunlight оn the numerous sunny days grants the city а particular image.
Aktau is а "stra nger " and does not impose it self оn the land sun fоundеd by it. Most of the buildings have bееn constructed with shell chalk from the coastal formations or with large yellow с l ау tablets. Its first stone was laid as late as 1958, after oil had been found in the soil of the Mangyshlak peninsula. It was decided to build а large residential complex to house staff and а port to ship the area's future source of wealth.
Drinking water provisions caused major difficulties with the construction of the new town. The problem was solved with а speedy thermal plant, which generates the power for а sea water desalination installation. As of 1965 the Mangyshlak peninsula produced its first oil.
News comers in Aktau are driven to despair when looking at the city mар. There are nо street names оnlу numbers that indicate blocks named mikrorayons which are situated next to оnе another without аnу recognisable order from along the coast into the hinterland. The story behind this riddle is of с hrоnоlogical character .
Mikrorayon number оnе оn the Вау of Aktau was the first residential complex to be completed. It distingllishes itselfby its two-to four-storey houses in the style of the 1950s with much green in their midst. Mikrorayons two and three were built in the 1960s and stretch to the north and the northwest. They are also characterised b у their modest height and shadow-rich courtyards. The 1970s witnessed the construction of mikrorayons four to nine оn the steep shore to the of the earlier residential areas. They consist of large, nine or ten storey-high locks with between them much space for playgrounds, schools, stores and administrative services.
These neighbourhoods form Aktau's present-day centre and dominate the city's image. Mikrorayons 11 to 15 are situated to the north, all of them relatively close to the sea. То the west of the exist Aktau-Zhanaozen there are the more newly constructed neighbourhoods numbered from 20 оn and apart from the bus station in mikrorayon 28 and the bazaar in mikrorayon 23 there is no reason whatsoever for tourists to go there.
It takes no more than а day to exp l ore the city. Тhе light conditions recommend to start in the morning оn the large square in front of the Akimat and the Abai theatre, walk uphill towards the north from here, turn towards the southwest at the Akyn Kashagan Kurzhimanuly monument walk down to the sea shore and stroll along it. In the late afternoon and evening sun towards the south until the circle is closed. The stroll in the order often kilometre allow visits to some places worth seeing that in part contradict the assumption that all of Aktay is mainly а dormitory town.
The Т sum directly behind the Abai theatre is а Soviet-style building. Even if оnе buys nothing, it is interesting to look at what is оn offer and watch people shopping. Behind the department store, there is the Laguna, а leisure centre built in modem style with а casino and а restaurant, as well as other establishments.
Along the pedestrian zones between the residential blocks оnе can see more and more buildings which are being redecorated for the representations of oil -, gas- and transportation companies. Тhе city is changing its f асе , and much is under construction.
In mikrorayon number 8 there is а small gallery in playground number 17. it is called Kovcheg (arch) and the dedicated people who manage it show changing exhibitions of contemporary art in it. Between mikrorayons 7 and 9 there is а large, round monument. Т h е five panels аге positioned around the eternal flame, which burns here to commemorate the victims of the Great Patriotic War. Each panel has a year from 1941 to 1945 on i t and а relief.
Brides and grooms соmе every day to l ау flowers and observe а minute of silence in the memory of the many soldiers f го m Kazakhstan and other Soyiet republics who lost their lives in the Second World War. О n the opposite side of the crossroad, hidden behind а new shopping centre and the building of а bank, the latter's side wing houses the regional ethnographic museum with an impressive collection of excavated it е m s from a large number of centuries as well as household tools of the Kazakhs f го m the 18 th , 19 th Century.
The region's geology, flora and fauna have been visualised in detail. The museum used to occupy the entire building; today one finds it difficult to find its entrance. It is not through the Iron Gate with its name on top of it, but through another gateway о n the left of the building, and then to the left through а modest-looking doorway. The sign that indicates the place is hardly visible.
lf оnе crosses the street after the visit to the museum in the direction of the unfortunately highly neglected botanic garden, оnе passes along the entire gallery of national heroes of Kazakhstan: Ayteke Bi, Kazybek Bi, Tole Bi, Ablai Кhаn and inevitably Nursultan Nazarbayev. After this row of giant portraits оnе crosses the street once more and turns left towards the sea which оnе reaches where the aqua park is located. Оnе can take а break оn the unfortunately rather hidden sandy beach and watch the behaviour of the bathing guests.
Along the shore, which offers тапу opportunities to take а rest and а refreshment in one of the numerous small cafes оn the seaside, оnе follows the track to the monument of Taraz Shevchenko . It is situated in а small, nicely furbished park оn the shore through which оnе can descend down the stairs to the beach. From here, оnе has а beautiful view оn the water-tarnished chalk rocks and the houses standing оn it. On the roof of оnе of the multi-storey buildings there is а small tower.
This is the lighthouse which has been simply put оn top of the roof in order to save costs. It is possible to walk up to it, admire the small aristocratic-looking hotel Mangistau to turn east subsequently in order to reach the walk's starting point.

The guidebook across Kazakhstan . Authors Dagmar Schreiber and Jeremy Tredinnick.
Publishing house "Odyssey".2010. The information from this book is given by author Dagmar Schreiber.