Astana and Baiterek Tower

The settlement of Akmoly was founded on the Ishim in 1830 and later became Akmolinsk, then Tselinograd during the Soviet Virgin Lands campaign, and Akmola after independence. In December 1997 it replaced Almaty as Kazakhstan's capital and in 1998 was renamed Astana, meaning 'capital' in Kazakh. It was called Nur-Sultan from 2019 until 2022, when the name Astana was restored. The Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa guided the plan for the new city.

Baiterek was built to mark the move of the capital. Construction began in 1996 and was completed in 2002 to a design by the Kazakh architect Akmurza Rustembekov, based on a concept from President Nursultan Nazarbayev. The tower represents the folk tale of the tree of life and Samruk, the magic bird that laid its golden egg in the tree's branches; the 97-metre height of the deck refers to 1997. In 2002 the monument won the Grand Prix of the International Association of Unions of Architects of CIS countries.

Astana has grown very quickly since becoming the capital, from under half a million people in 2002 to over 1.5 million today, drawing young professionals and workers from across Kazakhstan and neighbouring countries. The city has a reputation for strong winds, especially on the open left bank, and long, very cold winters, so much of everyday life moves indoors into malls such as Khan Shatyr in the cold months. The Palace of Peace and Reconciliation, built for the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, reflects the city's mix of faiths.