Alakol Lake is a lake located in the Almaty and Shyghyz provinces, east central Kazakhstan. Its elevation is above sea level. The lake is the northwest extension of the region known as the Dzhungarian Gate, a narrow valley connects the southern uplands of Kazakhstan with arid northwest China. The Dzhungarian Gate is a fault-bounded valley where the elevation of the valley floor is between 350 and 450 m above sea level and the peaks of the Dzhungarsky Alatau range reach above sea level. Two well-defined alluvial fans are visible where mountain streams cut through the faulted landscape to the southwest of the lake. The surface area of the lake is. It is deep at its maximum depth, with a volume of 58.6 km3. A swampy lowland connects the northwest end of Lake Alakol with the Kosharkol and Sasykkol. From the southern tip of Lake Alakol a narrow swampy valley connects it to the freshwater Lake Zhalanashkol. Alakol Lake, a salt lake, has a drainage basin of and receives water periodically from several streams flowing from the Tarbagatai Mountains. Among them are the southerly draining Urdzhar River at the north end of the lake, and the Emil River, on the lake's north-eastern shore. During seasonal floods, surplus water drains from Lake Zhalanashkol to Lake Alakol along the 10-km long slough called Zhaman-Otkel. The Alakol State Sanctuary has been created to protect the area for the lake is an important breeding and nesting ground for various wetland birds, notably the very rarerelict gull. Piski Island has flocks of flamingo, and 40 species of other birds. UNESCO designated the Alakol Biosphere Reserve as part of its Man and the Biosphere Programme in 2013. The largest island in Alakol Lake is Ul'kun-Aral-Tyube. It is located in the center of the lake. Agricultural activity in this arid region is limited to areas where adequate moisture is available, mainly along ephemeral streambeds and in the deltas and alluvial fans. The Bronze AgeAlakul culture is situated in the general region of the lake. In the middle of the 1st century BCE the Lake Alakol marked an eastern end of the Kangju state, shown on Chinese maps of the Western territory. = Description = This salty, drainless lake, located in the North-East of Almaty region near the border with China, is considered unique. It is known about the beneficial properties of the purest Alakol water that it restores strength and strengthens health. Many years ago, the famous great silk road passed here. Even in those days, the caravaneers, unable to refuse after a tedious journey to refresh themselves in the waters of the lake, noticed how the skin abrasions on the legs disappeared by themselves, wounds on the body quickly healed, those suffering from sciatica forgot about the pain in the lower back, even quarrels and resentments moved away. = Legend = During the reign of Timur, it was said that this lake "It-Ichmes" because one liter of water contains 8 g of salt. Kimaks called this lake Gagan, after the city located on the site of the village of Koktuma. The great gift of nature in Kazakhstan-Alakol. = Medical property = Modern medical research confirms the healing qualities of lake water. Sea breath of Alakol in a combination with dry, hot, filled with aroma of steppes, the air has a beneficial effect on humans. It was in the resort areas of Alakol that cosmonauts underwent rehabilitation after returning from orbit.
