At an altitude of 2,750 meters and just 75 km from Almaty lies the Assy Plateau – vast open spaces, mountain meadows, and crystal-clear skies. Here stands the ASSA Observatory, once equipped with a one-meter telescope used to study stars and galaxies. Today, it’s no longer operational due to a lack of funding and support. Fun fact: the plateau has over 300 clear nights a year – making it one of the best spots in the CIS for astronomy.