ASTANA — In the North Kazakhstan Region, there are two unique bitter-saline lakes: Minkeser and Teke. They are considered “sacred’ by the locals and capture the imagination of the visitors. Lake Minkeser.

Photo credit: Olesya Zhukov/Kazinform Agency. Click to see the map in full size. The map is designed by The Astana Times.

This article, originally published in Kazinfo, explores the lakes and the fascinating legends associated with them. Minkeser Lake Minkeser, located in the Mamlyut District, just 85 kilometers from Petropavl, is well-known to nearly every resident. Often called the “Mini Dead Sea” of the region, Minkeser lives up to its name.

In 2020, the Scientific Research Institute of Cardiology and Internal Diseases reported that the lake’s therapeutic mud and highly mineralized water have significant health benefits. Locals have known about the lake’s healing properties for years. Hundreds of people visit every summer to treat joint pain and skin problems.

Minkeser is 9.1 kilometers long and 6.1 kilometers wide, with an almost perfect oval shape.

On calm days, the lake’s bitter-saline water appears dark blue. A mineralized spring with cold water is located on the shore. The lake is home to the brine shrimp Artemia salina, which filters the water and releases biologically active substances, giving the water its healing properties.

Some Artemia salina eggs die and settle at the bottom, forming the organic component of the therapeutic mud. Lake Minkeser. .