Ulytau

Ulytau rises within the central Kazakh steppe, a group of hills whose water and pasture give it importance within a much broader open landscape. Seasonal movement allows herders to use grazing across great distances, while sheltered ground and reliable springs can become valued meeting places. Livestock supports food, transport, and wealth, and routes across the steppe connect communities that may live far apart for much of the year.

The region holds strong associations with the Mongol ulus of Jochi and the later political traditions of the Kazakh khans. The mausoleum traditionally associated with Jochi stands in Ulytau; radiocarbon research suggests that it was built roughly a century after his death. In 1391 Timur crossed the area during his campaign against Tokhtamysh and left an inscription at Altynshoky. These monuments connect the steppe landscape with the changing powers of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.