Museum of Botai Culture
The ‘Botai – Burabay’ ethnographical open air museum opened in the Burabay National Park. The museum dedicated to the ancient Botai culture contains valuable archaeological findings which are over six thousand years old. The architectural and cultural facility is located at the foot of the Zhekebatyr Mountain. The facility has seven halls containing items from the Botai era. Each of the items is unique in its own way. All of the halls are connected by an underground passage.
KUANYSH SHAKSHAKOV, ARCHEOLOGIST:
- We have selected this area including hills and mountains, forest. The people of the Botai age created their settlements in areas like this.
Visitors are mostly interested in the dwellings and the ancient items. Household items discovered during the archeological excavations are displayed at the museum. All of the items showcase the way people lived during the Botai era.
VICTOR ZAIBERT, PROJECT AUTHOR:
- 6000 years ago people lived here during the most ancient era. They created unique architectures and were quickly followed by the rest of the world. Today we find the remains of the architecture in the East as well as in the Caucasus, Russia, Ukraine and other areas in Eurasia.
Other valuable ancient items may be part of the museum’s collection in the near future. The ancient Botai settlement was discovered in Krasny Yar, a village near Kokshetau. Scientists from various countries suggested that horses were domesticated in the area. The idea of creating the museum was sparked during the shooting of a scientific film on the Botai settlement.
MALIK MURZALIN, GOVERNOR OF AKMOLA REGION:
- This project is important for us from two points of view. Firstly, it is a practical implementation of the tasks which the President outlined in the Modernization of Kazakhstan’s Identity Program. From the other point of view, the project is important for us in terms of attraction of tourists both local and Russian as well as other international tourists.
There were evidences that the horse transportation era originated from the Botai culture. The first settlement was discovered 35 years ago on the territory on Aiyrtau district in the North Kazakhstan region.