Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Kazakhstan Shetpe Valley of Balls

Valley of Balls

Mysterious spherical rocks in the semi-desert of western Kazakhstan.

Shetpe, Kazakhstan

Added By
Tawsam
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
The Valley of Balls.   plutogno
The Valley of Balls.   plutogno
  manojbulsara / Atlas Obscura User
A large stone sphere   Valeria Bolotova / CC BY 2.0
Valley of Balls   Valeria Bolotova / CC BY 2.0
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Close to the town of Shetpe in western Kazakhstan lies the Valley of Balls, or Torysh, as it is known in Kazakh. It consists of numerous ball-like rock formations strewn across a wide range of steppe land. The balls range in size from tiny marble-like rocks to huge boulders the size of a car.

The phenomenon is poorly researched, but there could be a number of geological explanations from megaspherulites—crystalline balls formed in volcanic ash and then revealed by weathering—to cannonball concretions, a process in which sediment accumulates around a harder core and the conditions are just right to erode rocks into spherical form. In this case, due to the range of sizes, the most likely explanation is that of spherulite formation.

Visible from the valley is Sherkala (Lion Rock), a stunning 332-meter white and ochre chalk outcrop with numerous fissures along its rim and even more rock formations at its foot. Close by are also the scant ruins of the Silk Road town Kyzylkala.

Related Tags

Natural Wonders Martian Landscapes Geological Oddities Giant Spheres Spheres Ecosystems Geology Nature
Atlas Obscura Adventures

Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars

A 2-Week, 4-Country Odyssey.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

Tawsam

Edited By

Kerry Wolfe, manojbulsara, Michelle Cassidy

  • Kerry Wolfe
  • manojbulsara
  • Michelle Cassidy

Published

May 14, 2012

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • Lonely Planet Central Asia; 4th Edition; July 2007
  • http://www.djontheroad.com/dj/index.php/archives/2008/07/14/olden-balls
Valley of Balls
Shetpe
Shetpe
Kazakhstan
44.36138, 51.561143
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Kokkala Gorge

Shayyr, Kazakhstan

miles away

Shakpak-Ata

Ashchimuryn, Kazakhstan

miles away

Ybykty Canyon

Koyulus, Kazakhstan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan

Asia

Places 32
Stories 5

Nearby Places

Kokkala Gorge

Shayyr, Kazakhstan

miles away

Shakpak-Ata

Ashchimuryn, Kazakhstan

miles away

Ybykty Canyon

Koyulus, Kazakhstan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan

Asia

Places 32
Stories 5

Related Stories and Lists

How Nature Creates Uncannily Spherical Boulders

spheres

By Meg Neal

Related Places

  • The Smoking Hills, as seen from the sea.

    Inuvik, Unorganized, Northwest Territories

    The Smoking Hills

    These hellish-looking cliffs in the Canadian Arctic have been burning for centuries.

  • A mud pot.

    Iceland

    Námafjall

    In Northeastern Iceland lies something of an oxymoron: a steaming desert.

  • Fairy Glen, as viewed from Castle Ewan.

    Isle of Skye, Scotland

    Fairy Glen

    This dramatic landscape hidden on the Isle of Skye looks as though you've stepped into the magical realm.

  • Looking down into the lava lake

    Antarctica

    Mount Erebus

    Fire meets ice at the southernmost volcano on Earth.

  • The Baigong Pipes

    Haixi, China

    Baigong Pipes

    Are these prehistoric metal pipes evidence of alien plumbers? Nope, but they are amazing nonetheless.

  • The Pinnacles.

    Cervantes, Australia

    The Pinnacles

    Alien rock formations grown from the sands of an Australian national park.

  • Badain Jaran Desert

    Alxa, China

    Booming Dunes of Badain Jaran Desert

    The tallest stationary dunes on Earth also happen to sing.

  • Sierra Bullones, Philippines

    Chocolate Hills

    Bohol's unusually shaped hills turn brown in the summer months

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.