The Singing Dune of Altyn-Emel
Between two mountain ranges in Kazakhstan stands a lone sand dune that groans like an organ when the sand slides.
What was reported
In Altyn-Emel National Park in south-eastern Kazakhstan, a single huge sand dune, about 150 metres high and over a kilometre long, stands by itself between low mountains, far from any desert. In dry weather, when the wind blows or people slide down it, it gives out a deep, droning sound, like an organ or a distant aircraft.
Local legends explain the sound in different ways, and the dune is said to have stayed in the same place for centuries despite the wind.
Explanations offered
Like other 'booming dunes', its sound comes from dry, rounded sand grains sliding together in an avalanche. The surrounding winds blow from opposite directions in different seasons, which is thought to keep the dune in place.
- When
- Known for centuries
- Where
- Altyn-Emel National Park, Almaty Region, Kazakhstan
- Witnesses
- Local people, travellers and visitors
- Status
- Mostly explained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.