Olgii TownOlgii, the capital of the Bayan-Olgii province, is an
ethnically Kazakh city that happens to be in Mongolia. You can certainly feel
that you are in a Muslim-influenced Central Asian region, rather than in
Mongolia: many places have squat toilets; in the city, there are signs in Arabic
and Kazakh Cyrillic; the market, which is called a bazar rather than the
Mongolian zakh, sells the odd kebab (shashlyk) and is stocked with goods from
Kazakhstan. Olgii is 1645km from Ulaanbaator but only 225km from
Russia.
Ethnography Museum of Olgii gives an excellent
of overview of Kazakh culture and of the geography of Bayan-Olgii. The 2nd floor
is devoted to history, and the 3rd floor has some interesting
displays.
Eagle Hunting Festival
One of the oldest, most revered and spectacular celebrations for Kazakh
people, passed down from generation to generation, is hunting with trained
eagles. It exhibits the real pride of the Kazakhs. They annually hold an
exceptional feast called the Eagle Hunting Festival in the extreme air of the
majestic Altai mountains, among the river glaciers and beautiful landscape in
Bayan-Ulgii province
Tavanbogd (Five Saints) Mountain
It rises 4374m above the borders of three nations, and for this reason it is
also known as Nairamdal (Friendship) Peak. If you sit on the summit, you can
simultaneously be in Mongolia, China and Russia (though you won't need a visa
for all three). Tavanbogd is one of Mongolia's most spectacular peaks, of
interest to professional climbers, and the only one in Bayan-Olgii to be
permanently covered with large glaciers (including the 19km long Potanii
Glacier, the longest in Mongolia). The massif is made up of five peaks (the five
saints) - Khuiten, Naran, Olgii, Buraed and Nairamdal - the which is Khuiten
(meaning 'cold') at 4374m, is highest highest point of Mongolia.
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