Kokpar is the iconic Kazakh traditional equestrian competition testing speed, agility, and horseback mastery. Riders compete fiercely on horseback to gain possession of the target and transport it to the goal zone.
Togyzqumalaq, often called the 'Steppe Academy', is an ancient Kazakh intellectual board game based on mathematical calculations and strategic foresight. Played with 18 pits, 2 banks (Qazan), and 162 pebbles.
Qazaq Kuresi is one of the oldest and most celebrated national sports of Kazakhstan. It is an upright martial art that tests balance, upper-body strength, and tactical skill.
Audaryspak is a traditional Kazakh equestrian sport where two riders compete to pull each other off their horses. Success requires immense physical strength, exceptional balance, and perfect mastery of horse control.
Kyz Kuu (literally 'chase the girl') is one of the most vibrant and celebrated Kazakh equestrian games. It combines horsemanship, speed, and romance as a young man and woman race on horseback across two distinct legs.
Baige is one of the oldest and most popular Kazakh equestrian sports. It is an open-country horse race that tests endurance, jockey stamina, and horse training mastery over long distances.
Tenge Alu (literally 'picking up coins') is a dazzling traditional Kazakh equestrian game that tests a rider's agility, balance, and extraordinary speed. The objective is to lean down from a galloping horse and pick up small silver coins or colored target cloths scattered along a specific track.
Zhamby Atu (literally 'shooting the target') is a dazzling traditional Kazakh equestrian game that tests a rider's agility, balance, and extraordinary speed. The objective is to shoot arrows from a galloping horse at a target (Jamby) placed along a specific track.
Asyk Atu is one of the oldest and most beloved folk games in Kazakhstan, primarily played by children and youth. The game centers on using carefully selected and sometimes weighted sheep anklebones (asyks) on the ground. Players compete in precision throwing to knock targets or win bones, testing physical accuracy, manual dexterity, and strategic calculations.
Kusbegelik is the traditional Kazakh art of training birds of prey—primarily golden eagles, falcons, and hawks—for hunting. It represents a profound spiritual bond and mutual trust between human and eagle.
Tymak Uryp Zhygu (literally 'striking off the fur hat') is a festive and hilarious traditional Kazakh horseback game. A blindfolded rider must rely on their spatial orientation and horse control to ride toward a wooden pole and strike off a traditional fur hat (tymak) using a leather whip.