Taraz Regional Museum

The pride and joy of what is one of Kazakhstan's best local museums is the domed rear building housing an unusually impressive collection of balbals (totem-like stone markers with the carved faces of honoured warriors or chieftains). Also in the rear courtyard is a room dedicated to medieval Taraz, displaying chiefly paintings and pottery. The main building holds a respectable array of stuffed wildlife, battle paintings, chunky Kazakh jewellery and a yurt lavishly decked out in the style of a century ago.