Shymkent economics
Today Shymkent is the third largest city of Kazakhstan and a major industrial and cultural center, as well as an important railway junction.
Shymkent city has large lead, automatic press, and cement works, with chemical (processing phosphates from Karatau), food, and light industries.
Shymkent attractions
Shymkent is a good place to stop to explore ancient cities of Otyrar, Turkestan and Sayram.
Shymkent is the city with a high proportion of Kazakh population. Under Tamerlaine’s reign Shymkent was the most powerful trading center of Kazakhstan, an important staging post on Great Silk Road.
Located near the border with Uzbekistan, Shymkent city still engages in trade and has a booming bazaar open from 8 a.m. till 8 p.m. Shymkent is a good stopping place between Tashkent and Almaty also as a jumping-off point for Otrar, Turkistan, and Aksu-Zhabaghly nature reserve.
There are 8 parks in Shymkent city, 3 of them were formed in mid-19th and early 20th centuries. There is a philharmonic society named after Sh.Kaldayakov in the city.
Unique exhibits of the epoch of Kangyui State are exposed at the regional museum of local study founded in 1920. An old Asiatic quarter still remains in the city.
A park named after Abai, a water park, an ethnographical park “Ken-baba” are very popular among children and grown-ups. There is a children’s railway 6 km long which links the northern part of Shymkent city with an arboretum, a zoo and a hippodrome.
There are the following theaters in Shymkent: South Kazakhstan regional Russian drama theater, South Kazakhstan regional Kazakh drama theater named after D.Shanin, Opera and Ballet Theater of South Kazakhstan oblast, Satire and Humor Theater of South Kazakhstan region and Puppet Theater of South Kazakhstan region.
Shymkent has been attracting travelers and scientists for a long time. As the city is the regional center of South Kazakhstan oblast all tourist routes start in the city. There are such types of tours as historical places, exotic places, hunting and fishing, mountain tourism. In South Kazakhstan there are saint places and architectural constructions which are visited by pilgrims.
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ABOUT SHYMKENT