What do you know about the historic lifestyle of Kazakh nomads? Do you know anything about Kazakh cavalry armor? Or about Kazakh cooking? Perhaps you are Kazakhstani and have learned more from own your family and upbringing than I could ever know. Or maybe you are like me, a foreigner looking to understand and celebrate a culture that is different from your own. Either way, the Ethnocenter “NOMAD” is a day trip that I invite you to consider.
The center is about an hour and a half drive West of Almaty, KZ. Upon arrival, it is immediately evident that the ethnocenter is located in a remarkable place. The center sits in the foothills of the Tian Shan mountains. Standing there, it truly feels like you are standing at the feet of giants. The green hills and blue sky create a picture perfect contrast. Throughout the property there are a dozen or so horses meandering around, grazing, or being prepped for riding.
The ethnocenter itself is comprised of many smaller buildings, most of which are traditional Kazakh yurts. Yurts are the circular tents that the nomadics peoples of the steppe called home. Their collapsable structure is ideal for the migratory movement that is central to the nomadic lifestyle. Some of the yurts at NOMAD are entirely outfitted with traditional tapestries and furniture. While a nomadic lifestyle necessitates minimalism, these yurts are ornate and comfortable. Every surface is covered with multicolored intricately woven fabric, some of the tapestries are woven in the traditional style at the ethnocenter. The array of wooden furniture includes a traditional low dining table and decorated wooden chests for storage. The presentation felt both celebratory and genuine.
On the field beyond the yurts, there is an archery range and a covered seating area as well as a large grassy field. Men in traditional cavalry armor from various times periods ride through the field on horseback and expertly line up to present their armor while the tour guide explains the significance of modifications in cavalry armor on the steppe over the centuries of its existence.
After the lesson, there is an opportunity to put on the armor as well as ride the horses. The riding portion is a guided walk and the horses are well trained. They responded well to direction, but clearly knew their normal route and eagerly followed the guide. As someone who attended quite a few horse camps in my childhood, I was very keen to go faster than a walking pace. With permission from the guides, I was able to both trot and gallop. Horseback riding in the foothills in Kazakhstan was truly an experience unlike any other. While I have had experience being around horses, it was clear that any experience level was welcome.
In the archery range it was my turn to be completely clueless. We were briefly shown how to hold the bows and shoot before we were each given our own bow to practice with. I really appreciated that there was no time limit or set number of tries each person got with their bow. I can proudly report that I hit the hanging target at least once. The atmosphere and facilitators were encouraging. Although the tour didn’t include a ton of information about Kazakh archery specifically, it was nonetheless an enjoyable experience. It would have been interesting to learn more about archery as a method for hunting and warfare on the steppe.
Lunch was served and was composed of traditional Kazakh dishes, including beshbarmak, baursaki, and lots of black tea, with or without milk. The tea was served in small decorated bowls, rather than mugs. Meat is a staple of Kazakh cuisine and as a vegetarian, I was worried about finding enough nutritious food. While meat was definitely a main feature of the meal, I was pleasantly surprised by the vegetarian offerings which included dumplings, salads, and cooked vegetables.
Just in case we weren’t completely satisfied by the extravagant meal, our final stop on the tour was making baursaki. Baursaki are a traditional form of Kazakh fried dough. Made outside and cooked in a massive pot of oil that was being heated by a fire, these baursaki were like warm donut squares.
All together, this experience was unforgettable. The guides were eager to share information and culture with us, even though our Russian language skills are still under construction. With a cultural destination like this, it is logical to worry about the authenticity of the experience. Before my trip, I had worried about the center being “touristy.” Similarly, I worried that I would feel like I was encroaching on a tradition that wasn’t my own by being a foreigner in a deeply cultural space. At Ethnocenter “NOMAD” neither of these worries were realized. The guides seemed happy to share their culture and history with us and the experience as a whole felt grounded in reality.
Of course, as a foreigner, I am not qualified to tell you whether or not the experience is completely authentic. I’ve had only a little bit of experience with Kazakh culture, so I would not notice if there were traditions missing or represented inaccurately. That being said, I really trust the authenticity of the Ethnocenter. Their experience transports you back in time so that you can not only learn about Kazakh culture, but also experience parts of it for yourself.
If that sounds like something that you would like to experience, you can contact the Ethnocenter “NOMAD” at +1 855 275 5071 or book online here.
