The Saur Mountains (; kk, Сауыр жоталары, ''Sauyr jotalary''; russian: Саур) is one of the mountain ranges in the

Tian Shan The Tian Shan,, , otk, 𐰴𐰣 𐱅𐰭𐰼𐰃, , tr, Tanrı Dağı, mn, Тэнгэр уул, , ug, تەڭرىتاغ, , , kk, Тәңіртауы / Алатау, , , ky, Теңир-Тоо / Ала-Тоо, , , uz, Tyan-Shan / Tangritog‘ ...

system. An eastern extension of the

Tarbagatai Mountains The Tarbagatai Mountains ( mn, , , translit. ''Tarvagatai nuruu'', literally: "range with marmots"; ; kk, Тарбағатай жотасы, ''Tarbağatai jotasy'') are a range of mountains located in the north-western parts of Xinjiang, China, ...

, it starts on the China-Kazakhstan border and continues east into China, where it forms the border between the

Hoboksar Mongol Autonomous County Hoboksar (), sometimes referred with the historic name Hefeng County (), is an autonomous county for Mongol people in the middle north of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Western China, it is under administration of Tacheng Prefecture. The cou ...

and

Jeminay County Jeminay County or Jimunai County, is a county situated in the north of the Xinjiang, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and is under the administration of the Altay Prefecture. A road border crossing into Kazakhstan is located in Jeminay town. The ...

Xinjiang Xinjiang, SASM/GNC: ''Xinjang''; zh, c=, p=Xīnjiāng; formerly romanized as Sinkiang (, ), officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China (PRC), located in the northwest ...

. The highest peak of the range, and of the entire Saur-Tarbagatai mountain system, is the ice-capped

Sauyr Zhotasy Sauyr Zhotasy ( kk, Сауыр жотасы, ''Sauyr jotasy''), also known as Muz Tau (), at 3,840 m is the highest point in the Saur Range and of the entire Saur- Tarbagatai mountain system, part of the Tien Shan, on the border between Kazakhsta ...

, also known as the Muz Tau. Streams flowing south from the Saur make irrigated agriculture possible, although on a very limited scale, in their valleys in Hoboksar County. One of them reaches as far as the large oasis seen on Google Maps at , in the southern part of Xiazigai Township (夏孜盖乡, ''Xiàzīgài xiāng''). Apparently it is streams like this that Chinese geographers describe as "seasonal rivers sourcing from the northern mountains" whose water occasionally reaches the

Manas Lake The Manas Lake () is a salt lake in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region. It is located in the western part of the Dzungarian Basin, within the Gurbantünggüt Desert. Administratively, the lake is in Hoboksar Mongol Autonomous County; the close ...

. (p.171)

Notes

Mountain ranges of Xinjiang Mountain ranges of Kazakhstan {{Kazakhstan-geo-stub