Ever Been To Singing Sand Dunes?
Well, if you are in Almaty then you are only 182 km away from this beauty.
Singing Sand Dunes of Altyn Emel National Park
They are also called Singing Barkhan, Singing Sand, Singing Dunes.
Why singing? When there is a slightest impact on the sand from the outside, the sand produces weird whistling, booming, roaring squeaking, humming and vibrating sounds.
Some say it sounds like siren of riverboats, some say like jet planes. You can choose your description after this video:
Marco Polo wrote on his Gobi Desert travel notes that it sounds like "all kinds of musical instruments, and also of drums and the clash of arms."
Is it only in Kazakhstan?
No. There are about 35 of them throughout the world. Quite a few in the USA, in California, Nevada; there is one in Doha, Qatar; some in Africa son on. So there is no shortage of them in the world.
By the way singing is guaranteed only under certain favourable conditions. The weather has to be 99.99% dry, the sand grains have to be shaped round and of the same size. Oh, one more thing the western wind has to conduct all this. And that's when you can hear the performance from miles away.
Kazakhstan Singing Sand Dunes are on 3 km (1.86 mi) sandy ridge of 300 m (just under 1000 ft) height in the middle of the stony desert.
Despite the strong winds, the sand mountain had not moved around the plain. It's been in the same place for a long long time.
It's a home for many rare species of flora and fauna. For example saxaul (haloxylon), the plant, very popular for making Shashlyk. Its ash is long lasting and controllable, so that your kebab doesn't burn, but cook.
It's illegal to cut them down nowadays, as some people started abusing the Mother Nature, which can result in loosing the natural balance.
Do enjoy these tremendously beautiful pictures taken by Malene Hein.
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