Almaty - The Times Of Central Asia

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Kazakhstan Develops Program to Revive Famous Aport Apple Variety

Kazakhstan's Ministry of Agriculture in cooperation with the National Agrarian Scientific and Educational Center have launched a program to revive the legendary Kazakh apple variety - aport. Aport is a capricious variety that requires special cultivation conditions. Quality apples can only be produced in orchards growing 850-1,250 meters above sea level. There are few such areas in the foothills of Almaty and the nearby region. Unlike other apple varieties, which begin to bear fruit in 4-6 years, aport needs 8-9 years to give a first harvest. Nevertheless, aport apples, distinguished by their large size, distinct smell, and succulent nature, are in great demand. The aport revival program, designed for 2024-2028, involves private investors and specialized nurseries. The program will grow the required number of saplings to begin the full-scale commercial cultivation of apple orchards. In the first stage, in 2024, the seeds of the Sievers apple tree were collected, and the development of national standards for growing Kazakhstan's aport began. In 2025, seedlings will be planted on ten hectares to become a mother garden supplying saplings for nurseries. During the next two years, it is planned to grow a sufficient number of saplings to plant an orchard on 100 hectares. Later, aport saplings will be offered to private gardeners for commercial cultivation. In 1970, there were 3.8 million aport trees in Kazakhstan, but by 1984, only 1.4 million remained. In 2012, scientific research began on the revival and rejuvenation of the variety, including establishing an experimental garden of aport grafted onto Sievers apple trees. In 2023, Kazakh scholars harvested the first large fruits weighing 400-500 g. Kazakhstan is the birthplace of apples — particularly the famous aport apples, which grow in the Almaty region. Translated from Kazakh, Almaty roughly means “place of abundance of apples.” One of Almaty's main landmarks, the first sight to greet visitors to Mount Kok-Tobe, which looms over the city, is a granite statue of an apple with water gushing from its core.

Tourism Inside Almaty Almaty

Almaty Uncovered: Locals Reveal Must-Visit Spots and Hidden Gems

Almaty is a city filled with history, warmth and a variety of unique places. For each resident this city is special, and each corner of it evokes their own feelings and associations. TCA spoke to Almaty residents of different ages and professions about which places they consider their favorites. Damir, 19, student programmer: “I don't have a specific favorite place in Almaty, but there is one associated with my childhood memories - the Green Bazaar. As a child, I often went there with my mother to buy fresh produce, and every trip to the market was a real adventure for me. I used to look with interest at the showcases with fruits and spices, enjoying the unique atmosphere of the place. The Green Bazaar is not just a market, but a living museum filled with aromas and sounds that I associate with my childhood.” [caption id="attachment_23549" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Shymbulak; image: Kalabaha1969[/caption] Serikzhan, 22, English teacher “My favorite place in Almaty is Shymbulak. In both winter and summer, there’s a lot to do here: skiing, hiking in the mountains, parties and events. If you want to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city, you can just walk along the trails and enjoy the views. Shymbulak isn’t just a ski resort, but a source of many warm memories, as my family and I used to come here often, even on weekdays after school.” Amir, 27, designer and SMM specialist: “My favorite place in Almaty is a small burger shop called Kuropatka. There are always a few people there. It's not a place of high cuisine, but the prices are very affordable and the burgers are incredibly tasty. However, it's not even about the food, it's about the memories. It was the starting point of my adventures with friends who have now left Kazakhstan. Years later, our favorite meeting place remains unchanged, preserving a piece of the past.” [caption id="attachment_23548" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Botanical Gardens, Almaty; image: Dianakz[/caption] Raihan, 41, interior designer: “Almaty is my favorite city. I adore it for its green parks, quiet squares and for its unique seasons - be it crisp snow in the winter or rustling leaves in the fall. Every morning I savor the mountain views and watch sunsets drenched in a multitude of hues. This city is also known for its old Soviet modernist architecture, and the fountains in the summer lend a welcome coolness. For me, Almaty is a city of endless festivals, performances and creative meetings.” [caption id="attachment_23550" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Tamgaly-Tas; image: Mheidegger[/caption] Myktybek, 19, targetologist “Tamgaly-Tas is one of the most interesting places in the vicinity of Almaty. It’s a place with unusual rocks on which you can see ancient inscriptions, petroglyphs, and images of Buddha. The historical and cultural value of this place is huge. It connects us with ancient times and gives us a feeling of something eternal. Walking among these rocks is like traveling back in time, where every stone has its own story to...

Digital Service Digital Technologies Digitalization Almaty

Start of Robot Deliveries in Almaty

Almaty is now using Yandex Qazaqstan robots for home deliveries of orders from restaurants and cafes via its Yandex Go service. Equipped with sensors, including lidar and cameras, which enable them to recognize objects and avoid obstacles and pedestrians, as well as a neural network system capable of recognizing traffic lights and road signs, the robots move independently around the city. With a capacity of 60 liters, each robot's cargo compartment can accommodate, for example, several pizzas and drinks, accessed by customers via the Yandex Go app. During the first phase, the robots will operate within one city district but in time, travel further afield and expand connections between new cafes and restaurants. Welcoming the initiative, Zhanabek Olzhas Nurzhanuly, head of Almaty's digitalization department, said the use of the robots could help make the city greener and more convenient for residents. In addition to making deliveries, robots have also appeared in Yandex Maps, where they can replace the usual navigation cursor via a simple app. update. Delivery robots are actively used in several countries. For example, Starship Technologies' robots have already made over 5 million deliveries in Estonia, the UK, and U.S. In the latter, in partnership with Grubhub, they mainly serve university campuses, and in Europe, robots deliver food and goods via apps such as Bolt Food,

Shymbulak Made mountains Silk Road Treasures Freeview Fridays Tourism Almaty

Silk Road Treasures: Almaty’s Mountains

Under the banner of "Silk Road Treasures", TCA's people -journalists, editors, authors- share their personal experiences of Central Asia and her people, and by listing their favorite places, literature, films, architecture and archaeological sites, alongside encounters with customs and traditions, provide pointers for readers wishing to visit the region. Vagit Ismailov, Journalist The first thing a travelers notice when descending at Almaty International Airport are the towering snow-capped peaks of the Zailiyskiy Alatau mountains. However, alongside their majestic presence which make this city unique, the mountains harbour a constant threat which anyone who has experienced an earthquake whilst inside a high-rise building, will both well understand and fear. Almaty, capital of Kazakhstan until 1997, is one of those cities whose growth is independent of either metropolitan status or the presence of large enterprises. Now one of the most dynamic cities in the post-Soviet space and, perhaps, one of the most prosperous in Central Asia, the ever-evolving city absorbs money from other regions and boasts a wealth of amenities, high-end restaurants and cosy cafes to welcome customers day and night. Inevitably, the population continues to rise and as commented by one of Almaty's akims (mayors), every day, the number of people entering the city is equivalent to Latvia's population of over 1.5 million. As a result, the roads are constantly clogged with traffic, again showing the megacity's restless energy and the potential for further growth. Amidst the boom in development which has spurred the construction of modern residential and business complexes, the city center remains quintessentially Soviet in style, flanked by streets of familiar communist apartment blocs from the sixties and seventies. Today's new builds reach for the sky but under the Soviet regime, high-rise construction was forbidden in Almaty. The only exception was the Kazakhstan Hotel, which standing 102 meters high, is now the city's third tallest building. Constructed in 1977, it was designed to withstand zone 9-point seismic activity, but nevertheless, its survival of several earthquakes is regarded as miraculous. [caption id="attachment_22785" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Hotel "Kazakhstan" Image: @iStock[/caption] The proximity of the mountains and unspoilt natural landscape, provide residents and tourists alike, a perfect place to relax and enjoy the great outdoors. The nearby resorts of Shymbulak and Medeo, home to the world's largest ice rink which sits like a diamond in a box of green velvet, offer a range of winter sports facilities. Cable cars traversing deep gorges, operate all year round, aiding access to the high pastures, and panoramic views of the Tien Shan ranges, and numerous, graded hiking trails wind through passes to lakes and waterfalls. Scenery aside, visitors can experience more of what Kazakhstan has to offer by sampling local fayre in various venues and watching demonstrations of eagle hunting, and for lovers of antiquity, there are petroglyphs to be discovered, carved on red rock, and the famous Boroldai Saka Burial mounds, dating back to V-VIII BC. [caption id="attachment_22786" align="aligncenter" width="540"] Medeo. Image: @iStock[/caption] But the threat of the Zailiyskiy Alatau is ever-present. In 1887, ...

Economy Investments Kazakhstan Tourism Almaty

Kazakhstan: Almaty holds investment forum to increase its investment attractiveness

ALMATY, Kazakhstan (TCA) — More than 700 representatives of business circles, including international companies, participated in the 2019 Almaty Investment Forum held in Kazakhstan’s largest city, Almaty, on November 27. The main goal of the forum was to increase the investment attractiveness of Almaty, the official website of the city’s administration reported. Addressing the forum participants, the Mayor of Almaty, Bakytzhan Sagintayev, said the forum was taking place in a historic moment, when the agenda for the development of Almaty for the next 30 years is being formed. The Development Strategy of Almaty until 2050 has been drawn up and submitted to a broad-based consultation procedure among citizens. The main objective is to enter the top 100 best cities in the world, in terms of quality of life and business opportunities. “This requires a solid economic foundation. The urban economy should grow at a rate of at least 5 percent per year. To ensure this growth, we are beginning a deep structural reform of the urban economy. The reliance is on the sectors of the new economy. And this structural maneuver of ours opens up fundamentally new fields for investment,” said Sagintayev. In his words, the ultimate goal of the structural maneuver is to develop export production, expand the presence of Almaty manufacturers in the global high-tech economy. At the forum, the managing partner of McKinsey & Company in Kazakhstan, Jochen Berbner, spoke about Almaty as a new international center for tourism. He said that Kazakhstan has all the prerequisites for the development of tourism, especially in such fast-growing niche segments as ecotourism, sports and business tourism, adding that Almaty belongs to the top tourist destinations in the country due to its picturesque nature, warm climate and developed infrastructure. “Due to its geographical location, Almaty has great chances to attract tourists from those countries whose population is now actively investing in travel, in particular from China, India, and Russia,” said Berbner.

Investments Kazakhstan Almaty

Kazakhstan: Almaty region attracts new investments

ALMATY, Kazakhstan (TCA) — An international business forum Jetisy Invest-2019 took place in Taldykorgan, Almaty region on October 4. The event was attended by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Ermek Kosherbayev, Akim (Governor) of Almaty Region Amandyk Batalov, Deputy CEO of KAZAKH INVEST national investment promotion company Birzhan Kaneshev as well as over 400 representatives of the diplomatic corps, financial organisations and international and local business circles from 7 countries, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry reported. Continue reading