Lake Elton received its name thanks to the golden-pink color of the unique salt found in its water. «Altyn-Nur» (in Russian pronounced as Elton) in Turkic means «a golden bottom.» The red color of the salt brine and of influent streams was described by the famous natural philosopher Pallas already in the 18th century. He noted that the salt has a red color and emits a raspberry or violet smell. This salt was highly valued and sent exclusively to the royal household of Catherine the Great in the amount of 100 poods per year.

In the days of the Cuman khans, this place was considered a holy site. To the present day, the Kazakhs have a pagan legend according to which the divine lord Tengri-Khan comes down to the water of the lake to achieve everlasting youth. And the legend appeared for good reason. The local mud and water help to cure diseases and extend youth. The famous muds of Elton, the only mud in the world with such a unique composition and medicinal properties, surpass the mud of the Dead Sea by certain parameters.