The land: Almaty Botanic Garden (103 hectares) is located in the city center of Almaty, largest city in Kazakhstan. It was found as a part of the Kazakh Soviet Republic Academy of Science in 1932 (part of the former USSR). Apart from few scientific laboratory buildings and the greenhouse, the major territory of the garden is open for public as a park with a forest and a flower garden.

Historical/ Urban value: being the city’s first botanic garden, it remains the green island in the middle of the fast growing city. It is a depository of various rare species that have been introduced since 1932. The scientific institution of the park retains the research documents of almost 100 years old.

Social value: the park is a recreational area for many Almaty inhabitants. It is also valuable resource for education and a lot of excursions for children from schools and kindergartens are conducted here.

Set against the backdrop of the Alatau range, The Botanical Garden in Almaty features a vast open space with pine groves, hundreds of varieties of roses, and dozens of sorts of peonies, tulips, lilacs, and asters. Opened in 1932 adjacent to Al-Farabi Kazakh National State University, the garden spans 108 ha (267 ac) and features a small Japanese garden, boardwalks and lotus ponds, and a greenhouse with a fine collection of cacti and tropical plants. A number of benches and a few footbridges make the garden a good spot for a picnic, while its spacious area includes well-maintained lanes for hiking and cycling.

It is understandable that many Botanic Gardens may resemble others and this perhaps as a whole is not significantly different from their brethren. But this place is worth a visit and you won't regret the time spent. Japanese garden is probably the main Pearl and is really very beautiful. Rock Garden seems too deserves attention, but how to get inside the fence-remains a mystery. The Orangery is large, but again only works on certain days of the week.