The range extends for about 420 kilometres (260 mi) in a roughly NW/SE direction just north of the Syr Darya.

[3] The Shabakty, Kyrshabakty, Ushbas, Bugun and Asa, are among the rivers having their sources in the range.

[4] There are numerous ancient archaeological sites in the range that display the stages of cultural evolution from the early Paleolithic Age (1 million BP) to the Neolithic Age (6500 BP).

[5] This site was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List on September 24, 1998 in the Cultural category.

[5] The Karatau Nature Reserve is a protected area in the range established in 2004.