WELCOME TO ASTANA
Vibrant capital of Kazakhstan
Key facts about Astana
-
In Soviet times, this city was called Tselinograd, after the collapse of the USSR being given the name Akmola.
-
By presidential decree of May 6, 1998, Akmola was renamed Astana.
-
In 1998, Astana was presented to an international community as the capital of sovereign Kazakhstan.
-
In 1999, Astana was awarded the title of "City of Peace" by UNESCO.
-
Currently the territory of the capital exceeds 722 square kilometers with a population of more than 1 million people.
-
Astana is located in the center of Kazakhstan in the zone of dry steppe. The Esil River is the main waterway of the capital.
-
The climate is acutely continental - cold and long winter and hot, moderately dry summer.
The convenient location in the center of the Eurasian continent makes the capital of Kazakhstan an economically advantageous transport, communication and logistics center, a kind of a transit bridge between Europe and Asia.
Sightseeing in Astana
Khan-Shatyr
The largest tent and spherical building in the world exists in Astana. Khan-Shatyr is the shopping and entertainment center in in the form of a large transparent tent, registered in the Guinness World Records.
The main feature of Khan-Shatyr is a beach resort with a tropical climate, exotic plants and a temperature of +35 degrees all year round. Khan-Shatyr was also included in the world's top ten eco-buildings according to Forbes Style magazine, becoming the only building from the entire CIS space that the magazine considered possible to include in this list.
Nur Alem
The venue of the Future of the Energy Museum (EXPO 2017 in Astana) is the largest spherical building in the world. Nur Alem is the first technological museum of future energy in the country and occupies 8 floors, each reflecting a different concept: "Future Astana", "Space Energy", "Solar Energy", "Wind Energy", "Biomass Energy", "Kinetic Energy", "Water Energy" and "National Pavilion", located at the base of the sphere.
The Palace of Peace and Reconciliation
The Palace of Peace and Reconciliation, also known as the Pyramid, is the center for religious studies and religious tolerance. It was presented at the first "Congress of World and Traditional National Religions", held in 2003.
Just recently, the Head of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of the Vatican City State Pope Francis visited Astana and participated in the VII World Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions held in the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation on September 14-15, 2022. This was the first visit of the head of the Roman Catholic Church in 21 years.
Astana Opera
Astana Opera is the biggest theater in Central Asia. The main hall of the theater is designed for 1250 seats. Inside and outside of the building is decorated with Sicilian marble. One of the main decorations of the foyer is a large chandelier of Bohemian crystal, weighing approximately 1,600 kg. The acoustics of the halls was developed by leading specialists from Italy and Germany.
Khazret Sultan Mosque
Khazret Sultan Mosque in Astana, which was opened in 2012, is one the most exquisite and modern mosques in Kazakhstan and Central Asia. The construction of the mosque took three years and involved more than 1,500 people: architects, engineers, craftsmen, and artists.
"Khazret Sultan" in Kazakh means "St. Sultan," and the mosque is named in honor of the 12th century sheikh Khoja Ahmed Yassawi, who was also an outstanding poet of Asia. Among other things, he is considered a saint in the Muslim world, and his mausoleum is located in Turkestan.
Our Partner
Visit the official website of Astana Invest to get more information about tourism in Kazakhstan.