Astana, a Special Capital

Newcomers to the city may have a question: why does a mirror-like bright city exist in a place surrounded by wilderness? Is it Las Vegas or Dallas? If you see a city as bright as stars on the horizon under the pitch-dark sky, it is Astana, the most special capital in the world.

The pyramid in Astana

Kazakhstan became wealthy after billions of barrels of oil and natural gas were discovered in this country with a population of 16 million. In 1997, Astana was established as the new capital of Kazakhstan. All the architecture in Astana was built between 1997 and planned up until 2022 for the 2022 Winter Olympics.

The first impressive piece of architecture between the airport and the city proper is a large shopping center with an area of 127,000 square meters, which is designed by Norman Foster and is nicknamed as “the biggest tent in the world.” In order to prevent the architecture from freezing during cold winter, special chemical linings were used within it to ensure the microcirculation system of the roof keeps operating. You can experience tropical life on the artificial beach, which is paved by sand imported from the Maldives and is at a constant temperature of 35℃.

The central axis in front of the tent, also called “Millennium Axis” of Astana, is like a large square planted with trees. It is inspired by the city’s main designer Kisho Kurokawa, one of the three best second-generation architects. Numerous new architectures of Astana expand along the axis. On its left is an opera house with the appearance of ancient Greek temples. The opera house was completed by The Mabetex Group of Swiss in 2013. Besides, travelers can see apartments with special appearances, Chinese-style Beijing Sun Palace, and Astana Hotel Apartment. The architecture nicknamed as “the big egg” is part of the national archive and is the best place to see the weird skyscraper of Astana.

National opera house

Astana has mismatching aesthetic and architectural styles, which are reflected in the tower apartments with architectural style of Moscow University, the Presidential Place which was completed in 2001, the Disney version of White House, and the Office of Prime Minister which like two golden teacups. Opposite of the Presidential Place is the President Park, situated inside is the pyramid “Palace of Peace and Reconciliation.” The 77-meter-high pyramid costs 580 million US dollars and was complete in 2006. The pyramid was designed by British Foster & Partners and constructed by Sembol.

As a place symbolizing world peace and religious harmony, Astana often hosts world region conferences and serves as a place for religious meetings of Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Judaism and Hinduism. Moreover, Astana has a national history museum, a national culture museum, a new school of civilization, a new library, and an opera house which can accommodate 1,500 people. All these architectures symbolize world peace and the harmonious coexistence of different religions. Golden yellow and pale blue of the glass are basic colors of the national flag of Kazakhstan. This area is also the main venue for the 2011 and 2013 Astana International Actionfest Film Festival.

Important architectures surrounding the Independence Square line up along Tasdick Street. The gorgeous and magnificent Sultan Mosque, the largest mosque in Central Asia, has traditional Islamic architectural styles. Completed in 2012, it can accommodate 10,000 people. It has a 77-meter-high tower, a 50-meter-high dome, and a diameter of 28.1 meters. It is open to any religion in the world. Visitors just need to go through security check and take off your shoes; females also need to cover their bodies and hair with robes provided by the mosque. In the mosque, visitors can listen to imams’ prayers and sermons, or just read on big blankets to enjoy silent time. A strange architecture that looks like black washbowl is actually the Kazakhstan National University of Art and the Independence Palace. Within the Independence Palace, you can see the final design blueprint of Astana in 2030. In front of the palace is a 91-meter-high Monument to the Kazakhstan River, with the statues of Butters heroes and Nursultan Nazarbayev standing there. Moving forward, you can see Astana National Museum, the largest and newest museum in Central Asia. Covering an area of 14,000 square meters, the museum looks like a pile of rock fragments. However, it is large and towering inside. It features 14 exhibition halls fitted with the most advanced multimedia equipment in the world which includes holographic and interactive display devices. In spite of a small number of showpieces, you can still see historical and cultural legacies of Kazakhstan. Additionally, there is a big gold eagle.

The highest building “Tree of Life” observation tower looks like a vase topped with a ball. You can reach the top of the tower to overlook Astana through the dark brown glass.

Famous Green Water Apartment

Make it Happen

Tengo is the currency of Kazakhstan. You can convert currencies freely at hotels and airports. It is advised not to exchange too much at once.

Russia is the most common language here. Since there are many young people in Astana, English is also frequently used.

Astana has intense sunlight in the day. During the evening, the temperature drops quickly and can become quite cold. Therefore, you need to bring clothes ideal for both situations. The winter in Astana is extremely cold.

(Source: February version of Lonely Planet in 2016, written and photoed by Lao Piaopiao.)