Tien Shan is one of the largest mountain systems of Asia stretching 2,500 km across Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan into China.  From Chinese, its name is translated as the “Mountains of Heaven”.  The Khan Tengri Peak (6,995 meters) is located in the central part of Tien Shan at the border of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and China, and is the highest summit of Kazakhstan and the second highest summit of Tien Shan.  ”Khan Tengri” means the “Lord of the Spirits” or the “Lord of the Skies”; it is one of the most beautiful peaks in the world due to its almost perfect pyramidal shape.  “Tengri” is the highest heavenly deity in ancient religions common to the Turkic peoples before their adoption of other religious views.

The highest summit of Tien Shan is the Pobeda Peak (7,439 meters).  Other names of the summit are: the Victory Peak (English), the Jengish Chokusu (Kyrgyz), and the Sheng-li Feng (Chinese); however, it is still frequently referred to by its Russian name.  The Pobeda Peak is considered to be the most northern in the world among the 7,000-meter peaks and is one of the most difficult and dangerous mountains on the planet in terms of climbing.