Shymkent (; Шымкент, Şymkent), known until 1993 as Chimkent ( uz, Çımkent, چىمكېنت;
Yañalif
Jaꞑalif, Yangalif or Yañalif (Tatar: jaꞑa əlifba/yaña älifba → jaꞑalif/yañalif, , Cyrillic: Яңалиф, "new alphabet") is the first Latin alphabet used during the latinisation in the Soviet Union in the 1930s for the Turkic languag ...
: Çimkent ()); russian: Чимкент, translit=Chimkent (), is a city in
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...
. It is near the border with
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan (, ; uz, Ozbekiston, italic=yes / , ; russian: Узбекистан), officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( uz, Ozbekiston Respublikasi, italic=yes / ; russian: Республика Узбекистан), is a doubly landlocked cou ...
. It is one of three Kazakh cities which have the status equal to that of a
region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...
(“city of republican significance”).
It is the
third-most populous city in Kazakhstan, behind
Almaty
Almaty (; kk, Алматы; ), formerly known as Alma-Ata ( kk, Алма-Ата), is the List of most populous cities in Kazakhstan, largest city in Kazakhstan, with a population of about 2 million. It was the capital of Kazakhstan from 1929 to ...
and
Astana
Astana, previously known as Akmolinsk, Tselinograd, Akmola, and most recently Nur-Sultan, is the capital city of Kazakhstan.
The city lies on the banks of the Ishim (river), Ishim River in the north-central part of Kazakhstan, within the Akmo ...
, with an estimated population of 1,002,291 .
According to regional and city officials, the millionth resident of Shymkent was born on 17 May 2018.
It is a regional cultural centre.
Shymkent is situated west of
Almaty
Almaty (; kk, Алматы; ), formerly known as Alma-Ata ( kk, Алма-Ата), is the List of most populous cities in Kazakhstan, largest city in Kazakhstan, with a population of about 2 million. It was the capital of Kazakhstan from 1929 to ...
and south of
Astana
Astana, previously known as Akmolinsk, Tselinograd, Akmola, and most recently Nur-Sultan, is the capital city of Kazakhstan.
The city lies on the banks of the Ishim (river), Ishim River in the north-central part of Kazakhstan, within the Akmo ...
. It is also to the north of
Tashkent
Tashkent (, uz, Toshkent, Тошкент/, ) (from russian: Ташкент), or Toshkent (; ), also historically known as Chach is the capital and largest city of Uzbekistan. It is the most populous city in Central Asia, with a population of ...
,
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan (, ; uz, Ozbekiston, italic=yes / , ; russian: Узбекистан), officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( uz, Ozbekiston Respublikasi, italic=yes / ; russian: Республика Узбекистан), is a doubly landlocked cou ...
.
Etymology
The name Chimkent comes from two
Sogdian words, ''chim'' (meaning 'turf') and ''kent'' (or ''kand'') (meaning 'city') (also found in the name of nearby
Toshkent
Tashkent (, uz, Toshkent, Тошкент/, ) (from russian: Ташкент), or Toshkent (; ), also historically known as Chach is the capital and largest city of Uzbekistan. It is the most populous city in Central Asia, with a population of ...
); thus, it literally means "the city in the grass/turf."
After Kazakhstan gained independence, the city was renamed ''Shymkent'' in 1993 as part of the government's campaign to apply
Kazakh names to cities. The formal spelling of Shymkent, as codified in Kazakhstan's Constitution, goes against the original Uzbek spelling rules of never having the letter "ы" follow the letter "ш". (Uzbek itself has no letter
ы. Furthermore, what is spelled as ш in Kazakh is spelled as ч in Uzbek.) As a result, the new name Шымкент (Shymkent) is used only in Kazakhstan, while other countries continue to use the original spelling Чимкент (Chimkent).
History
Shymkent was founded in the twelfth century as a
caravanserai
A caravanserai (or caravansary; ) was a roadside inn where travelers ( caravaners) could rest and recover from the day's journey. Caravanserais supported the flow of commerce, information and people across the network of trade routes covering ...
to protect a nearby
Silk Road
The Silk Road () was a network of Eurasian trade routes active from the second century BCE until the mid-15th century. Spanning over 6,400 kilometers (4,000 miles), it played a central role in facilitating economic, cultural, political, and reli ...
trade town,
Sayram, 10 km to the east. Shymkent grew as a market center for trade between Turkic nomads and the settled
Sogdians :''This category lists articles related to historical Iranian peoples''
Historical
Peoples
Iranian
Iranian
Iranian
Iranian may refer to:
* Iran, a sovereign state
* Iranian peoples, the speakers of the Iranian languages. The term Iranic peoples ...
. It was destroyed several times: by
Genghis Khan
''Chinggis Khaan'' ͡ʃʰiŋɡɪs xaːŋbr />Mongol script: ''Chinggis Qa(gh)an/ Chinggis Khagan''
, birth_name = Temüjin
, successor = Tolui (as regent)Ögedei Khan
, spouse =
, issue =
, house = Borjigin
, ...
, soldiers from the southern Khanates, and by nomad attacks. In the early 19th century, it became part of the
khanate of Kokand
The Khanate of Kokand ( fa, ; ''Khānneshin-e Khoqand'', chg, ''Khoqand Khānligi'') was a Central Asian polity in the Fergana Valley centred on the city of Kokand between 1709 and 1876. Its territory is today divided between Uzbekistan, Ky ...
before it
was captured by the Russians in 1864. It was renamed
Chernyaev Chernyaev (russian: Черняев) is a Russian masculine surname, its feminine counterpart is Chernyaeva. It may refer to
* Anatoly Chernyaev (1921–2017), Russian historian and writer
* Irina Cherniaeva (born 1955), Russian pair skater
*Mikhail ...
in 1914 and renamed ''Shymkent'' in 1924. Following the Russian conquest, Shymkent was a city of trade between nomadic Turks and sedentary Turks, and was famous for its
kumis
''Kumis'' (also spelled ''kumiss'' or ''koumiss'' or ''kumys'', see other transliterations and cognate words below under terminology and etymology – otk, airag kk, қымыз, ''qymyz'') mn, айраг, ''ääryg'') is a fermented dairy p ...
.
Shymkent was founded as a hub for economic development in South Kazakhstan in the 20th century, and rapid growth was evolving in the second half of the century. To date, there are about 70 factories, plants and other manufacturing companies in the area.
A settlement on the territory of modern Shymkent already existed at the turn of the 11th – 12th centuries. At the same time, there is a hypothesis about its earlier establishment based on the burials found during the archaeological excavations, which, according to experts, date back to the 5th – 6th centuries. In the sources that have reached our time, the Central Asian historian Sharaf ad-din Yazdi (1425) first mentioned Shymkent in the book Zafar Name (Book of Victories), when describing the military campaigns of Timur.
Chimkent (Shymkent), as a city-settlement already existed in the 6th century AD. Its name links to the famous traveler Xuan Jiang, who mentioned it in his notes about Isfijab - Sairam.
It is widely believed that the city existed in the 12th century. This information is taken from the book of A. Dobrosmyslov "Cities of the Syr-Darya region", where he reports the following: "The name of the city of Chimkent comes from the words chim - sod and kent - city. Indigenous people of Chimkent relate the time of its establishment to the 12th century, referring to the grave of St. Baba Dervish, a contemporary of Khoja Ahmet Yasawi."
In 1914, in honour of the 50th anniversary of Shymkent becoming part of the Russian Empire, the city was named Chernyaev, but in 1924 the Soviet authorities returned to the city its former name.
A lead plant was built in Shymkent in the 1930s. It accounted for 70% of the total lead produced in the Soviet Union. An oil and fat plant, a hosiery and a mirror factory were commissioned. In 1932, an agricultural aviation base was created, which led to the creation and development of the city airport.
During the Second World War, a number of Soviet industrial enterprises were evacuated in Shymkent. From the front line, 17 plants and factories were relocated here. The city produced spare parts for tanks, shells, metal, lead for bullets, optical instruments and other products. Seven Shymkent residents were awarded the title of the Hero of the Soviet Union.
There was a
gulag
The Gulag, an acronym for , , "chief administration of the camps". The original name given to the system of camps controlled by the GPU was the Main Administration of Corrective Labor Camps (, )., name=, group= was the government agency in ...
near Shymkent, and as a result, many Russian-speaking people came to the area through imprisonment in that gulag.
In January 2015, Shymkent officials sent a request to
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
to be recognized as an ancient city.
Until 2018, Shymkent was the administrative center of
South Kazakhstan Region
Turkistan Region (), formerly South Kazakhstan Region ( kk, Оңтүстік Қазақстан облысы, translit= Oñtüstık Qazaqstan oblysy) (russian: Южно-Казахстанская область, ') from 1992–2018 and Chimkent ...
. On 19 June 2018 it was taken out of South Kazakhstan Region and subordinated directly to the government of Kazakhstan. As a result, the administrative center of the region is moved to
Turkistan
Turkestan, also spelled Turkistan ( fa, ترکستان, Torkestân, lit=Land of the Turks), is a historical region in Central Asia corresponding to the regions of Transoxiana and Xinjiang.
Overview
Known as Turan to the Persians, western Turk ...
, and the region was renamed as Turkistan Region.
Geography
Climate
Shymkent features a
humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...
''Dsa'') bordering on a
mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...
(''Csa''). Shymkent features hot, relatively dry summers and cold winters. Winters here are noticeably warmer than in more northerly cities like
Almaty
Almaty (; kk, Алматы; ), formerly known as Alma-Ata ( kk, Алма-Ата), is the List of most populous cities in Kazakhstan, largest city in Kazakhstan, with a population of about 2 million. It was the capital of Kazakhstan from 1929 to ...
and
Astana
Astana, previously known as Akmolinsk, Tselinograd, Akmola, and most recently Nur-Sultan, is the capital city of Kazakhstan.
The city lies on the banks of the Ishim (river), Ishim River in the north-central part of Kazakhstan, within the Akmo ...
, with the mean monthly temperature during the city's coldest month (January) averaging around . Winter snowfalls are common, although rainfall during that season occurs mixed in with that. Shymkent averages just under of precipitation annually.
Vegetation
The vegetation of the city is known for its extreme diversity. Trees like oak, elm, poplar, cannan maple, willow, chestnut, acacia, ailanthus, thuja, pine, spruce grow in the city. Farm horticultural crops cherry, apricot, dried apricot, plum, pomegranate, walnut, quince, and grape varieties are widespread.
Demographics
![Mosque in Shymkent](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/Mosque_in_Shymkent.jpg)
According to a government estimate in 2012, the city had 669,326 inhabitants.
In 2009, the population of Shymkent was in 1999, it was
By the beginning of 2015, Shymkent was joined by the areas of adjacent districts. In this connection, the city population has increased up to 858,147 people within the new boundaries by the beginning of 2015.
By that time, 711,783 people resided in the former area of Shymkent.
[Численность населения Республики Казахстан по областям, городам и районам на 1 января 2015 года](_blank)
/ref> By 1 June 2018, the population of Shymkent was 1,002,291.
The following tables are the total population of Shymkent since 1897:
Ethnic groups (2020):
* Kazakh: 67.47%
* Uzbek: 17.69%
*Russian
Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including:
*Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
: 8.91%
* Azerbaijani: 1.74%
*Tatar
The Tatars ()[Tatar]
in the Collins English Dictionary is an umbrella term for different : 1.01%
*Others: 3.18%
Region and development
On 19 June 2018 by the decree of the President of Kazakhstan, Shymkent was recognized as one of Kazakhstan's cities with a population of over a million people, along with the capital, Astana, and Almaty. Shymkent was given the status of a city of republican significance. It was removed from the South Kazakhstan region, which was renamed Turkestan
Turkestan, also spelled Turkistan ( fa, ترکستان, Torkestân, lit=Land of the Turks), is a historical region in Central Asia corresponding to the regions of Transoxiana and Xinjiang.
Overview
Known as Turan to the Persians, western Turke ...
by the same decree. The city of Shymkent became an independent administrative-territorial unit, and the 17th region in Kazakhstan.
In 2016, construction began on Shymkent City, a new district comprising residential and administrative areas, in the northern part of the city. This construction is part of then-President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev
Nursultan Abishuly Nazarbayev ( kk, Нұрсұлтан Әбішұлы Назарбаев, Nūrsūltan Äbişūlı Nazarbaev, ; born 6 July 1940) is a Kazakh politician and military officer who served as the first President of Kazakhstan, in off ...
's promotion of the development of Shymkent as the "third Kazakhstani megalopolis".
Economy
Formerly dominated by lead
Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cu ...
mining, industrial growth began in the 1930s.
A lead smelter was opened in Shymkent in 1934[People & Power (TV programme), Al Jazeeera English, Robin Forestier, 20 February 2014] or 1938. It supplied a major part of the USSR's metals needs, copper as well as lead and others, including three-quarters of all bullets fired by the Red Army. Smelting continued until 2008, causing extreme levels of pollution (lead, cadmium, etc.) in the surrounding ground, and then controversially restarted in 2010, briefly, under a major UK-listed company, Kazakhmys.[
The city also has industries producing refined ]zinc
Zinc is a chemical element with the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. Zinc is a slightly brittle metal at room temperature and has a shiny-greyish appearance when oxidation is removed. It is the first element in group 12 (IIB) of the periodi ...
, processed karakul pelts, textiles, foodstuffs, and pharmaceuticals. Also, the city has a medium-sized refinery, which is owned and operated by PetroKazakhstan.
Shymkent is one of the leading industrial and economic centres of Kazakhstan. The city has industrial enterprises of non-ferrous metallurgy, mechanical engineering, chemical, oil refining and food industries.
The petrochemical and pharmaceutical industries include "PetroKazakhstan Oil Products" LLP (oil refining), "Khimpharm" JSC (medicines). Metallurgical goods are produced by "Yuzhpolymetal" JSC (lead and other products).
Mechanical engineering is represented by Cardanval JSC (cardan shafts and crosspieces for cars and tractors), Yuzhmash JSC (forging and pressing machines, spare parts and equipment), Elektroapparat LLP (power switches and other products).
As for light industry, enterprises include "Voskhod" (garments from woolen and semi-woolen fabrics: suits, coats, jackets, etc.), "Adal" (textile), "Elastic" (socks from high-quality yarn). Construction materials are produced by "Shymkentcement" and "Kurylys materialdary" JSC (bricks).
"Shymkentmai" JSC and "Kainar" LLP (processing of cotton, sunflower, safflower, soybean, production of refined edible oil and other products), "Shymkentpivo" JSC (beer), "Visit" JSC (soft drinks), "Shymkentsut" JSC (dairy products) are also operating in the city.
Industrial production increased by 15% compared to 2018.
Agricultural production increased by 6.3%, housing construction - by 19.2%, retail trade - by 7.1%.
In the last 3 years, as part of the Industrial and Innovative Development Programme, 24 enterprises were opened in Shymkent, and 1,300 permanent jobs were created.
There are 2 industrial zones in the city. To date investments worth 64 billion tenge have been attracted, 72 projects have been launched, more than 4,000 people have been employed.
In February 2021, it was announced that authorities in Shymkent are planning for 123 investment projects worth over 1.36 trillion tenge (US$3.3 billion) to be launched over the next 5 years. These projects are expected to create approximately 11,500 jobs for the region.
Culture
Shymkent has throughout its 2200-year history been under many different cultural influences of its controlling civilizations. Shymkent serves as the Cultural Capital of the Commonwealth of Independent States
The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is a regional intergovernmental organization in Eurasia. It was formed following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. It covers an area of and has an estimated population of 239,796,010. ...
in 2020.
Transportation
Public Transport
The city is a major railroad junction in the Turkestan-Siberia Railway. All passenger trains are operated by Kazakhstan Temir Zholy
Kazakhstan Temir Joly (KTJ; kk, Қазақстан Темір Жолы, Qazaqstan Temır Joly (QTJ)), also National Company Kazakhstan Temir Joly, is the national railway company of Kazakhstan.
Organization
Founded by the government in 2002 as ...
. The express trains using comfortable Tulpar Talgo
Talgo (officially Patentes Talgo, SAU) is a Spanish manufacturer of intercity, standard, and high-speed passenger trains.
Corporate history
TALGO, an abbreviation of Tren Articulado Ligero Goicoechea Oriol (English: ''Lightweight articulated tra ...
rolling stock. The Bus service uses modern Yutong
Yutong (officially Zhengzhou Yutong Group Co., Ltd.) is a Chinese manufacturer of commercial vehicles, especially electric buses, headquartered in Zhengzhou, Henan. Yutong also covers areas of construction machinery, real estate, and other inve ...
CNG buses to reach close to every corner of the city and also decrease the air pollution of the region. A bicycle-sharing system
A bicycle-sharing system, bike share program, public bicycle scheme, or public bike share (PBS) scheme, is a shared transport service where bicycles are available for shared use by individuals at low cost.
The programmes themselves include bot ...
operates in Shymkent with 40 stations around the city. At some parks and public places are also e-scooters
A motorized scooter is a stand-up scooter powered by either a small utility internal combustion engine or a small electric hub motor in its front and/or rear wheel. Classified as a form of micro-mobility, they are generally designed with a la ...
are available for sharing.
Roads
Currently, there are over two thousand streets in the city, the total length of all streets and roads is 2135 km.
Major roads passing through Shymkent include M32 (to Aktobe
Aktobe ( kz, Ақтөбе, Aqtöbe; russian: Актобе, Aktobe) is a city on the Ilek River in Kazakhstan. It is the administrative center of Aktobe Region. In 2020, it had a population of 500,757 people.
Aktobe is located in the west of K ...
, Oral
The word oral may refer to:
Relating to the mouth
* Relating to the mouth, the first portion of the alimentary canal that primarily receives food and liquid
**Oral administration of medicines
** Oral examination (also known as an oral exam or or ...
and Samara
Samara ( rus, Сама́ра, p=sɐˈmarə), known from 1935 to 1991 as Kuybyshev (; ), is the largest city and administrative centre of Samara Oblast. The city is located at the confluence of the Volga and the Samara (Volga), Samara rivers, with ...
) and A2 (Tashkent
Tashkent (, uz, Toshkent, Тошкент/, ) (from russian: Ташкент), or Toshkent (; ), also historically known as Chach is the capital and largest city of Uzbekistan. It is the most populous city in Central Asia, with a population of ...
and Almaty
Almaty (; kk, Алматы; ), formerly known as Alma-Ata ( kk, Алма-Ата), is the List of most populous cities in Kazakhstan, largest city in Kazakhstan, with a population of about 2 million. It was the capital of Kazakhstan from 1929 to ...
).
Airports
The Shymkent International Airport
Shymkent International Airport ( kk, Halyqaralyq Şymkent Äuejaiy) is an airport serving Shymkent, Kazakhstan. It features single passenger terminal and one runway. It serves as a hub for SCAT Airlines.
History
The basis for the airport was ...
was opened in 1932 and is located 12 km northwest of the city center. The airport offers air connections to all major cities in Kazakhstan and with like Dubai
Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...
, Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
and Istanbul
Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...
also international connections. Another small airfield is located near Sairam and is used mostly for sport and agriculture flights.
Sightseeing
Streets
Before 1864, the city consisted of a chaotic interweaving of winding streets around the citadel of the ancient city of Shymkent (the so-called "Old City"). But after it became a town of the Syrdarya region in 1867, the "New City" gradually emerged - an area that has a rectangular-quarter street layout. It was limited to Nikolaevskaya (now Kazybek-bi), Stepnaya (Kunaev Boulevard), Sadovaya (Tauke Khan Avenue) and Meshchanskaya (now Turkestan) streets.
Ordabasy Square
In the 19th century, the eastern border of the city passed here, and there were also fortified gates leading to Sayram and Taraz
Taraz ( kz, Тараз, تاراز, translit=Taraz ; known to Europeans as Talas) is a city and the administrative center of Jambyl Region in Kazakhstan, located on the Talas (river), Talas (Taraz) River in the south of the country near the borde ...
. In those days, there was a bazaar
A bazaar () or souk (; also transliterated as souq) is a marketplace consisting of multiple small Market stall, stalls or shops, especially in the Middle East, the Balkans, North Africa and India. However, temporary open markets elsewhere, suc ...
nearby, therefore this square was called Bazaar; the street got the same name, which originated from this square.
Currently, three streets converge on the Ordabasy Square, named after three Kazakh wise men - Tole Bi, Kazybek Bi, Aiteke Bi. The monument ''Zher-ana'' was erected right in the center of the square. It has three faces with a height of 34 meters. Famous quotes of the three wise Kazakh men are carved on each face of the monument. The top of the monument is crowned by the figure of a young woman, symbolizing Mother Earth, who releases seven swallows into the sky.
Under the square flows the Koshkar Ata river and the square contains two fountains next to the monument.
The Ordabasy Square connects to the Independence Park Independence Park may refer to:
* Independence Park Botanic Gardens, a botanical garden in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
* Independence Park (Charlotte, North Carolina), a park in Charlotte, North Carolina
* Independence Park (Chicago), a park in Chicag ...
through a 104-meter-long pedestrian bridge.
Parks
Ken Baba Park
This park (formerly the Cathedral Garden, Nikolsky Church Park, and Children's Park) is one of the oldest in the city, located on Kazybek Bi Street at the intersection with Tauke Khan Avenue. In 1908, St. Nicholas Cathedral was built in the area by the architect Matsevich, which opened in the autumn of 1914. This three-story building is considered one of the best examples of religious construction in the "red brick style." In the Soviet years, it was transformed into a regional library, and later into the Palace of Pioneers. Now it is the regional puppet theatre
Puppetry is a form of theatre or performance that involves the manipulation of puppets – inanimate objects, often resembling some type of human or animal figure, that are animated or manipulated by a human called a puppeteer. Such a performa ...
.
Valuable trees (mainly oaks) planted here in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and still grow in the park. Currently, there are numerous children's attractions and catering establishments. The water of the spring source is sent to artificial waterfalls that flow into decorative ponds, then the water is redistributed through the channels. Waterfowl and decorative fish can be spotted in the water.
Central Park
This park (formerly the Public City Garden) is also located on Kazybek Bi Street near Ken Baba Park. It was built at the end of the 19th century, almost simultaneously with the Cathedral Garden.
Dendropark
The Dendropark was built in 1980 at the outskirts of the city. Because of the fast growth of the city it is now inside of the city and located at the Prospekt Baydibek Bi. The park cover a area of 150 ha and there are about half of million trees and shrubs of 1360 different types. Most of them are rare and exotic types from different regions of the world. In the center of the park is a huge pond where visitors can rent Pedalo
A pedalo (British English) or paddle boat (U.S., Canadian, and Australian English) is a human-powered watercraft propelled by the action of pedals turning a paddle wheel.
Description
A pedalo is a human-powered watercraft propelled by the ...
s or Rowing boats
Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically atta ...
to discover the park by boat. The park additional offers a cycling
Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from two ...
and running track, some small drink and food shops and a bike rental shop.
Abay Park
The Abay Park is named after the Kazakh poet Abay and is located in the heart of the city. A museum and a monument about Abay is located near the south entrance at the Zheltoqsan Street. In the center of the park is a huge World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
memorial with an eternal flame. A art gallery and a public swimming pool are located in the northern part of Abay Park.
Independence Park
The ''Independence Park'' was created for the 20th anniversary of Kazakhstan's Independence in 2011. The park offers a Singing fountain, a 50 metres high flagpole
A flagpole, flagmast, flagstaff, or staff is a pole designed to support a flag. If it is taller than can be easily reached to raise the flag, a cord is used, looping around a pulley at the top of the pole with the ends tied at the bottom. The fla ...
, pavilions, playgrounds and the monument named ''Altyn Shanyraq''. The park is located near the Citadel
A citadel is the core fortified area of a town or city. It may be a castle, fortress, or fortified center. The term is a diminutive of "city", meaning "little city", because it is a smaller part of the city of which it is the defensive core.
In ...
, the ''Ordabasy Square'' and the train station.
Landmarks
Koshkar Ata mosque
The ''Koshkar Ata mosque
A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
'' also known as ''Zhami Mosque'' was built in 1850–1856. It was erected by Ferghana
Fergana ( uz, Fargʻona/Фарғона, ), or Ferghana, is a district-level city and the capital of Fergana Region in eastern Uzbekistan. Fergana is about 420 km east of Tashkent, about 75 km west of Andijan, and less than 20 km fr ...
masters in the style of quarterly mosques of frontal composition. Initially, the building was built of mud brick, but due to flooding by the river, it collapsed over time. Therefore, in 1891–1893 the mosque was rebuilt with burnt bricks. The main facade was made in the form of a three-arch structure, the building had a right and left wing. In 2009, the left wing was destroyed despite the fact that the mosque is protected by law as a monument of architecture.
Old city
The old city began to appear thanks to artisans and farmers who began to settle at the foot of the citadel of the ancient city of Shymkent in the 16th century.
Today, the streets of the Old City follow the outlines of the streets of past centuries. But only two architectural objects of the century before last have survived - the Koshkar Ata mosque and the house of the district chief. In the late period of the Soviet Union, a plan was created to preserve the Old City as an open-air museum with special requirements for newly erected buildings to combine the historical and modern architectural style. After the fall of the Soviet Union the plans were not realized.
Sport
*FC Ordabasy
FC Ordabasy ( kk, Ордабасы футбол клубы) is a professional football club from Kazakhstan based at the K. Munaitpasov Stadium in Shymkent. Ordabasy was formed in 1949, following the merger of two existing Kazakhstan Premier Le ...
- Men's football team (Current playing in Kazakhstan Premier League
The Kazakhstan Professional Football League ( kk, Қазақстан Премьер Лигасы, ''Qazaqstan Premer Ligasy''), commonly referred to as Kazakh Premier League or simply Premier League, is the top division of football in Kazakhstan ...
)
*BIIK Kazygurt
BIIK Shymkent ( kk, БИІК-Қазығұрт, BİIK-Qazyğūrt) is a women's football club based in Shymkent, Kazakhstan competing in the Kazakhstani Championship. Formerly established in Almaty as Alma-KTZh, the team won five championships in a ...
- Women's football team
Kazhymukan Munaitpasov Stadium is the main stadium in the city. Its capacity is 20,000. It is the base of FC Ordabasy.
Notable people
* Iordanis Pechlivanidis (born 1986), footballer
Twin cities
Twin Cities is the name of the sister cities program.
Gallery
File:Russian-Drama-Theater-Shymkent-Kazakhstan.jpg, Russian Drama Theater at Al-Farabi Square
File:Ordabassy-Square-Shymkent-Kazakhstan.jpg, View to Ordabassy Square from the stairs to the Independence Park
File:Mall-Mega-Planet-Shymkent-Kazakhstan.jpg, Shopping mall "Mega Planet" in Shymkent, Kazakhstan
File:Palace-of-Metallurgists-Shymkent-Kazakhstan.jpg, Palace of Metallurgists
File:St. Nicholas Cathedral 21.jpg, Temple of the Icon of Kazan Mother of God
File:Train-station-forecourt-Shymkent-Kazakhstan.jpg, Train station forecourt
File:Monument-of-Baidibek-Bi-Shymkent-Kazakhstan.jpg, Monument of Baidibek Bi
File:Park of Independence 2.jpg, Arch at Independence Park
File:Dwelling Kazakhstan in Shymkent7.jpg, Residential complex «Kazakhstan» on Kunayev Boulevard
File:Rahat Plaza.jpg, Residential buildings on Kunaev Boulevard
File:Shymkent.JPG, View of the crossroads of Tauke-khan Avenue and Kunaev Boulevard from "Mega Center Shymkent" shopping mall
File:Shymkent.jpeg, View on shopping mall in Shymkent, called ЦУМ in the Russian/Soviet style
File:Shymkent5.jpg, Fountains near the Central Department store (ЦУМ)
File:Shymkent6.jpg, Al-Farabi st., the view of the local Medical Academy
File:Shymkent7.jpg, Turkestan st. (улица Туркестанская)
File:Aksu-Canyon-Shymkent-Kazakhstan.jpg, Aksu Canyon on the outskirts of Shymkent
References
External links
*
*
shymkent.info
shymkent.gov.kz
{{Authority control
Cities and towns in Kazakhstan
Cities in Central Asia
Populated places along the Silk Road
Populated places in Turkistan Region
Syr-Darya Oblast