Ordabasy is a symbol of people's unity

Ordabasy Mountain is located on the left bank of the Badam River, 40 km west of Shymkent.

The Kazakh-Dzungarian war which began in the 1640s, continued in the XVII century, as a result of which the Dzungars in 1723, defeating the Kazakh troops, conquered the capital of the Kazakh khanate - Turkestan and seized a vast territory from Altai to Tashkent. This is a time of severe trials that fell to the Kazakhs, known as "Aktaban shubyryndy, Alkakol sulama". On such difficult days on the bank of the river Badam, on an elevated hill, the khans Abulkhair, Abulmambet, Sameke, Zholbars and Tole Bi, Kazybek Bi, as well as the famous batyrs - Bogenbay, Kabanbay, Zhanibek, Nauryzbai and others - gather on the Kurultai to unite the people and fight back against the Dzungarian invaders, where Abulkhair is chosen as commander-in-chief. During a choice of the commander the white horse which blood fasten an oath of allegiance to military duty and the commander is sacrificed. They raise a banner with the image of a wolf (having a certain symbolism in the culture of the Turks), the Batyrs take an oath, kissing the tip of their swords and saying that they will not give a single inch of the earth to the enemy. Thus, this area in view of the historicity of the events connected with it, according to the tradition, the place from which the Kazakh khanate began its revival. This high hill in the south of Kazakhstan was put aside in the people's memory under the name of Ordabasy. As a result of the unification of the three Kazakh zhuzes and the newly found solidarity of the people, the subsequent bloody battles with Dzungars, such as the Battle of Bulanty-Bleuty (1728) and the Battle of Anyrakai (1730), ended with the victory of the united Kazakh troops. Ordabasy is a symbol of good solidarity, independence and freedom. Since then, for almost three centuries, the Kazakh people have revered the area of Ordabasy and considered it sacral. During the celebrations of Nauryz and Eid al-Adha, there was a tradition of sacrifice (usually a horse) at the top of the hill. Later, during the Russian colonization and then the repression of Soviet power, the tradition was forgotten.

The almost forgotten history of Ordabasy in 1920 was discovered and scientifically substantiated by M. Tynyshbaev. In 1994 a stele was installed here (by the authors: sculptor A. Mamyrbayev and architect G. Sadyrbayev). The height of the stele is 28 m. It is a reminder to the descendants of those heroic events. The trihedral stele is lined with white marble slabs. Each facet as if directed to each of the sides of Kazakhstan: to the west - in the direction of the Syr Darya, to the north - to the mountains of Karatau and to the south-east - to the mountains of Kazygurt. On each side of the stele there are signs with the statements of the three great Bies. The memorial was erected in 2001 in the year of the 275th anniversary of the famous Kurultai and in the year of the 10th anniversary of Kazakhstan's independence. There is also a tribune where the presidents of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan signed an eternal friendship treaty in 1993. Next to the central entrance to the reserve is a small pyramid-shaped building, where the museum is located. The exposition is based on interesting archeological exhibits found on the territory of the reserve. Particular attention is drawn to the well-preserved Saka sword-akinak, as well as detailed maps illustrating the course of the Kazakh-Dzungarian war. The museum has 1,376 storage units. Not far from the museum there is an original stone structure of Bilgetas.

Historical and architectural monument of national importance.