Aktau

Aktau (Kazakh: Ақтау, Russian: Актау) is a seaport facing the east coast of the Caspian Sea in Kazakhstan. It was formerly known in Russian as Шевченко (Shevchenko) until 1991. The city of 192,000 people (2012 estimate) is the capital of Mangystau Province. It is located on the Mangyshlak Peninsula and was named after the white cliffs (Aktau means "white mountain" in Kazakh) facing the Caspian Sea.

Although the area around Aktau has been inhabited since ancient times, the modern city was only established in 1961 for the purpose of mining the uranium deposits in the area. Originally called Aktau, it was renamed Shevchenko, after Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko, during the Soviet era. With the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, the former name Aktau came to be used once again.

As with many former Soviet cities, Aktau today has a mix of Soviet-style apartments with modern glass business centers. There are a number of memorials and squares in the city. Since 2007, the city has been geared to develop its tourism industry.


Aktau, Kazakhstan

Visiting Aktau

There are day-long trains from Astana, the Kazakh capital, as well as services from Atyrau, Almaty and Shymkent. There are also flights from Atyrau and Almaty as well as international flights from Tbilisi, Moscow, Amsterdam and Yerevan, among others.

Sights & Attractions to visit in Aktau

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