Kok-Tyube is a mountain at an altitude of 1130 meters above sea level; it is located in the south of Kazakhstan near the city of Alma-Ata. Its translation from Kazakh means means "the green hill", but Kok-Tyube got its name relatively recent , in the second half of the last century the mountain had been called Verigin's mountain. It is possible to get to the mountain both by road and by cableway. The cableway was built in the sixties and since then it has been a very popular place in Alma-Ata. The cableway is stretched above the old city, which locals have given the nickname "compote". The thing is that all the streets in this area are named after fruit: Apple, Cherry, Pear, etc. The length of the cableway is 1730 meters. There is an incredible view of the city from the cabins of the carriages. The cableway starts from the Palace of the Republic, and the upper cable car station is on the territory of the park which has the same name as the mountain. Travel takes approximately 6 minutes. The mountain is also known for the Almaty television tower, which is located on its downslope and is the symbol of the city due to the fact that it’s the highest building (372 meters).
In the summer of 2004 the city authorities made the decision to close the mountain because of the danger of landslide. After the completion of construction, the mountain was opened to visitors again. They had also restored the cableway and all observation decks. Today the mountain is open to everyone with the desire to admire the incredible view of the city. It is also possible to see the Zailisky Alatau ridge from the mountain. A year after finishing the repair work, an entertainment center "Kok-Tyube Park" was opened on the mountain. There is also the first monument ever in the CIS to a cult rock group for fans of the band “The Beatles”.
In 2014 the cableway had been closed again for several months, after completion of all construction it has been opened to visitors again. It is possible to visit the cableway on any day of the week, but It's better to check its working hours before visiting because they vary depending on the day. The cost of tickets is also feasible: 1000 tenge (200 rubles) for one way and 2000 tenge (400 rubles) for both ways. On the mountain, there are various cafes and restaurants. Everyone will be able to find a form of entertainment to his liking in this park.
