State National Natural Park

State National Natural Park "Altyn-Emel" (also included in the serial trans-national nomination “Cold winter deserts of Turan) is a National Park with mostly desertic steppe, rocky terrain and 2500 meters high mountains. The geological structure shows canyons with multi-colored dome rocks, towers composed of colored layers alternate with dry canyons, filled with calcite crystals. There is a unique phenomenon called the singing dune. The park abounds in archeological monuments of a stone age, bronze, early and late iron century, ethnographic and historico-cultural monuments, including the Besshatyr necropolis (on the Silk Road TWHS). It protects many species of animals including the Turkem kulan, the wild ram and endemic gazella.