Ulytau

Ulytau, the great mountains, is a range of low worn hills near the geographical centre of Kazakhstan, and its importance is historical rather than scenic: this is where the steppe khanates held assemblies, where the Kazakh khanate is traditionally rooted, and where a set of medieval mausoleums stands in open grassland. The tomb attributed to Jochi, the eldest son of Genghis Khan, is the best known, a domed brick mausoleum of the thirteenth or fourteenth century; the Alasha Khan and Dombauyl mausoleums stand elsewhere in the area. Petroglyphs, ancient mining sites and burial mounds are scattered across the hills. The area is thinly populated and rarely visited.

What you actually see

• Jochi Khan mausoleum - the brick domed tomb in open steppe.
• Alasha Khan mausoleum - the second major medieval tomb of the area.
• The hills - the worn granite uplands of the steppe centre.
• Ancient workings - the old copper mining traces around Zhezkazgan.

When to go

May to June for green steppe and flowers, and September for clear autumn weather. Summer is hot and dusty, winter severe with wind. Roads become impassable in thaw and after rain.

Honest expectations

The mausoleums have been restored, in places heavily, and distinguishing original fabric is difficult. Distances between sites are long over rough roads. There are no visitor facilities. Interpretation is minimal and in Kazakh or Russian.

Nearby

Zhezkazgan lies southeast; the central steppe surrounds the hills.