. It is said that the name ‘Altyn Emel’, which means ‘golden saddle’, was given to the hills by Genghis Khan when he passed this way in 1219 and saw them covered with sun-yellowed grass. 

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Day 1st: Singing Dunes

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The singing sand dunes are a unusual natural miracle, stating boldly at 150 meters above the steppes between the Kalkan mountains. Between these mountains there is the famous Singing Barkhan, also called the Singing Sand Dune, the gem of Altyn-Emel.

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Day 2nd: Katutau and Aktau mountains.

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Firstly we will visit the ancient ruined Katutau (Harsh Mountains). The mountains are formed by ancient volcanic lava. In the mountain area, there are some interesting dikes (a dike is when the earth splits and is filled with magma. The split is formed by the earth’s movements like earthquakes or volcano eruptions.) Some dikes are 8 kilometers long. In the northern part of the Katutau and Aktau, there are some sedimentary bedrocks of the ancient ocean Tethys. Impacted by the above-mentioned natural factors the rocks formed some spectacular shapes and landscapes.

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