Ordabasy. Sacred symbol of nomadic unity
After the collapse of Genghis Khan's empire, many ruling houses of various nations laid claim to power in the Great Steppe. One of them were the Oirats - Western Mongolian nomads, known throughout the world as the Dzungars. They took control of part of Mongolia, captured Southern Siberia, Tibet, and fought their way to the Volga region, Crimea and the Caucasus. They became the main opponents of the Kazakhs. The culmination was the events in 1723, later called the “Dzungar invasion”.  
In 1726, the rulers of three Kazakh zhuzes gathered in Ordabasy to unite in the fight for their independence. Legend has it that each warrior who arrived with them brought with them a handful of their native land. From these handfuls of earth a symbolic hill arose, which was popularly called “Birlik Tobe” (“Hill of Unity”). Since then, the Kazakhs have had a tradition of throwing a handful of earth onto the Birlik Tobe hill upon arrival in Ordabasy. The hill, 14 meters high and 80 meters in diameter, is located in the southeast of the main entrance to the Ordabasy reserve. 
In May 1993, the presidents of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan met in a solemn ceremony in Ordabasy, signing a joint statement on eternal friendship between the Turkic peoples of the region. This event then brought together about 100 thousand participants. At the same time, the opening of the Ordabasy monument took place and the creation of a national historical and cultural reserve was announced. 
The historical and cultural national reserve "Ordabasy" is located 40 km west of Shymkent. On the territory of the reserve you can see the monuments of national unity “Ordabasy”, the sacred “Hill of Unity”, Saka burial mounds, ancient Turkic ritual structures and other monuments.  
Turkestan region, Ordabasyn district, village. Badam, st. Zhangeldina, 14/2 
+7 (72530) 4 62 30 
ordabasy-93@mail.ru 
nik-ordabasy.kz