Astana - The "new" capital!

Yesterday, I was relaxing on the beach, watching the waves and thinking about my next topic. I had the chance to sit next to me a family from Kazakhstan so we started talking about the culture and the economy of their country. After some hours of conversation I found myself wondering what is actually the meeting point around the world. Is it New York? Or Istanbul? Finally, I discovered that the world’s capital is Astana, the 17th year old capital of Kazakhstan.The idea of the construction of this city belongs to the President Nursultan Nazarbayev who gave life to an empty patch of land by the Ishim River.


In the winter months Astana becomes the coldest city in the world, as the temperatures touches even the minus 40 degrees Celsius (minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit).


On the architecture,  Serik Rustambekov, a local architect, says : “You need to understand the Kazakh background to get a better picture of our world view. We’re a nomadic civilization that developed over thousands of years in the vast expanse of Eurasia. Free space is more impressive to the Kazakh mindset than the type of congestion found in many European centers.”


What is really the “pan-religion” phenomenon?
The pyramid of piece is dedicated to “non- violence” and to bring together the worlds religions. Norman Foster said that the building has no recognizable religious symbols. The pyramid maybe support the regeneration of the solar cult of Ra.


However, many of the world’s greatest building projects have already taken place in Astana as it is surely going to be the capital of Asia and even the whole worlds.  It is totally an extraordinary capital, designed by the combination of technology and the influences of modern architecture, that many people do not even know about. Nevertheless, like in every river-town, old and new quarters of the city are divided by the Ishim River, with older, Soviet era structures on the north side of the famous river.

What to do in Astana
Like every important city, Astana has her own “To – Do”  that contains monuments and activities that are full of the local culture and way of life. To begin with, The Baiterek Tower is one of the most fabulous landmark there. Moreover, the Hazret Sultan Mosque, the Astana Arena, the Palace of Piece and reconciliation, the Sky Beach Club, the amazing Khan Shatyr  and the city park are also extraordinary. Want more? Astana Allee, Atameken Ethno- Memorial Complex and the famous Independence Square and Kazak Eli monument.


So, for all of you that you wish to spend your holidays in a wonderful way, Astana is the perfect destination; the place where every race and civilization is concentrated. By the time you get there, you will have the opportunity to broaden your horizons about what the future brings but also you will enjoy a number of extraordinary and imaginary things. At the same time, you will admire the fact that so many and completely different people live together in the same city, no matter their beliefs.

Take the time machine, travel to the future and have fun!