Nation’s Capital

First named Akmolinsk, the city was founded in 1824 as a military outpost and has always been of strategic importance to Kazakhstan. Renamed Astana in 1998, the capital city of Kazakhstan is a major center of activity.

Astana was selected to be the new capital of Kazakhstan in 1997 due to its convenient geographic and political location in the center of the country, as well as its proximity to the country’s main road and rail transport routes.

Currently, more than 500,000 people reside in Astana. The city is growing rapidly, and fast becoming the economic and cultural center of Kazakhstan, with modern offices, luxury hotels and roads being built to keep up with the growing population. It is a credit to the increasing importance of Astana that world-famous architects designed projects for the city.

• The Pyramid of Peace houses the Museum of National Culture of Kazakhstan, concert halls, a research center for religious issues and many offices.
• The design for Khan’s Pavilion was based on the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Arranged in four terraces, it has citrus plants, orchids and other plants that are exotic to the region.
• The Baiterek Tower is the symbol of Astana. Here you can get a bird’s eye view of the entire city.