The humming sand
In the wind.
ElenaLitera — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Arba Travel — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Marat Rysbekov — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Sane4o — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Nikolai Bulykin — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Dina Julayeva — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Jjm2311 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · ElenaLitera — CC BY-SA 4.0
A huge crescent-shaped sand dune in Altyn-Emel National Park, about 1.5 km long and 120 m high, standing alone on a desert plain between blue mountains. It is famous as the Singing Dune because its sand gives off a deep rumble when the wind moves it or visitors slide down. When the wind blows from the west and scatters the sand, it can sound like an organ playing, and scientists still debate the cause. Visitors climb to the crest on a tiring sandy path, with views over desert, the Ili river and the mountains from the top. The park, founded in 1996, is one of Kazakhstan's largest reserves at about 4,600 km², with the colourful Aktau mountains, the Iron Age Saka burial mounds of Besshatyr and steppe wildlife including gazelles. Permits are bought at the park office in Basshi village, about 1,100 tenge per person per day plus a vehicle fee, per 2026 reports. It is far from Almaty, so it is usually a two-day trip with a night in Basshi; spring and autumn avoid the heat.
In the wind.
Its views.
Painted colours.
Altyn-Emel National Park, northeast of Almaty
Its sand gives off a deep, organ-like rumble when the wind moves it or people slide down; scientists still debate why.