Astana (formerly known as Aqmola, Tselinograd and Nur-Sultan), in the north of Kazakhstan on the banks of the Esil river (better known by its Russian name Ishim), is the capital and the second largest city of the country. Modern Astana is a planned city, designed by Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa. It is home to a range of futuristic buildings, including many skyscrapers.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
The settlement was founded as a Russian military outpost in 1830 as Akmola ("white grave" in Kazakh) and was given town status 1832, when its name was Russianized to Akmolinsk. The town was a mining town, and during the time of Stalin it was a destination where people were deported. During World War II, peasants from the western Soviet Union fleeing the advancing Germans were moved here.
There are plenty of taxis starting from local taxis, ending with the most used services like Yandex Taxi, InDriver, you can expect to pay 1000-3500 tenge for a trip within the city. Yandex and Uber were ubiquitous and even in tough weather conditions you shouldn't expect to wait more than 5 minutes for a car. As of January 2023, Uber is reportedly no longer present in the city, only Yandex. Street taxis: Stand at the side of any road and thumb down a passing car, within 3 minutes you should have a string of them. Tell them your destination and they will either drive off or gesture you in. It is useful to know numbers so you can set a price for the journey before starting.
The many modern and futuristic buildings of Astana is a reason to visit the city. However, on a closer look they're less impressive as they're poorly maintained and often underused. 1 Palace of Peace and Reconciliation (Бейбітшілік пен келісім сарайы), Tauelsizdik Ave 57, ☏ +7 7172 74 47 44. daily 10:00-18:00. Completed in 2006 after a design by British architect Norman Foster, and also known as the "pyramid". The pyramid portion of the building is 62 m high and sits on a 15-m-high earth-covered block. All of this construction is above ground level. The building holds a summit of all religions of the world every 2–3 years.
1 Ak Bulak sauna Complex, 8th kilometre on the Astana-Airport highway (Olympic stadiums), ☏ +7 7172 497698 (reception), +7-705-140-7221 (cell). 24 hr. A sauna complex with 3 private VIP double floor saunas (for a party of 6, 9 and 12 people). Each sauna is decorated in a different geographic style and has its own swimming pool, Finnish and Russian steam rooms (banya), jacuzzi, hamam, entertainment hall with a banquet table, billiard, karaoke, TV with cable channels and 2 private relax rooms. The Complex has its own parking lot and conveniently located on the main Astana–Airport highway (not far from Olympic stadiums).
Beshbarmak - a horse meat and pasta dish. Most restaurants that serve it will present a portion enough for two or three people. Boursaky - bread best served piping hot, resembles an unsweetened doughnut. Shashliq - these kebabs are often cheap, and the one thing you're sure to recognise on the menu. In addition to the places listed in Eat, many hotels also have restaurants (see the Sleep section below) Along Turan street (formerly Sara Arka), there's a strip of restaurants that are a little more expensive but good. They also have private rooms for parties, saunas, and even hotel rooms. 1 Cafe Shymkent, General Sabyr Raqymov (Block north of Artyom Shopping Centre). Daily 08:00-00:00.
Kumis - different varieties are available of this mare's milk, some are a little salty. Slightly fermented. Can contain alcohol. Shubat - local variety of fermented camel milk. Contains some alcohol. Vodka - supermarkets stock a huge variety, ranging from US$2 bottles that will strip your throat to US$115 bottles that are more for giving as a present or showing off your wealth. Shots tend to be drunk, rather than utilising mixers - don't feel obliged to down each and every one if at a celebration. Cognac - what we would refer to as brandy, again a wide range in the shops and restaurants.
Astana doesn't have any major safety issues, for example you can drive late at night without problems. Bus drivers may shortchange you when buying tickets.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
In Jul, Astana typically sees ~26°C daytime highs and 9 rainy days.
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