Landmark · Nura District, Astana

Khan Shatyr

Norman Foster's giant transparent tent in Astana, sheltering shops, restaurants, family attractions and an indoor beach club

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Photo: Uladzislau Petrushkevich (@vladuken) / Unsplash

Discover Khan Shatyr

Khan Shatyr stands at the western end of Nurzhol Boulevard, its leaning cone visible from much of the left bank. The roof is made of transparent ETFE cushions hung from a network of cables strung from a central mast over an elliptical base about 200 by 195 metres. Sunlight passes through, and together with heating and cooling systems the design keeps the space inside comfortable while outdoor temperatures swing from around −35 °C in winter to 35 °C in summer.

The centre is first of all a shopping and leisure destination, with international and Kazakh brands, a food court with national and international dishes, the Chaplin cinema and the Fame City family games centre. On the top level, the Sky Beach Club offers warm sand, palm trees, swimming pools and a water slide, a summer escape all year round in one of the world's coldest capitals.

Don’t miss

01The tent's ETFE roof and central mast, designed by Foster and Partners
02Sky Beach Club with sand, palm trees and heated pools at +29 °C
03Fame City family games centre and the Chaplin cinema
04Food court with national and international dishes
05Concerts and events held under the dome

History & culture

The story of Khan Shatyr

The project was unveiled by President Nursultan Nazarbayev in December 2006 as the second national project in Astana designed by Foster and Partners, after the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation. Buro Happold were the engineers and the Turkish company Sembol built it. After delays, the main mast was raised in December 2008 and the centre opened in July 2010, timed to the president's 70th birthday and the capital's anniversary, with a concert by Andrea Bocelli attended by several heads of state.

The name joins two terms from Kazakh history: 'khan', a Turkic ruler, and 'shatyr', a tent. The mall says it attracts more than ten million visits a year and around 25,000 visitors a day, and it hosts concerts, film festivals and exhibitions under the dome.

Local life & traditions

For Astana residents Khan Shatyr is a year-round meeting place: families come for the games centre and the beach club, friends meet in its cafés, and weekends bring children's activities and stage performances. Kazakh brands such as Qazaq Republic sit alongside international names, and the food court serves Kazakh dishes as well as international ones.

Things to do

Experience it like a local

Visitors come to shop, eat and spend time indoors, especially in the long Astana winter. The Sky Beach Club on the fifth floor is divided into a shore area with sun loungers, palm trees and a large pool, and a zone with a water slide and a children's pool; the water is kept at around +29 °C. Fame City on the fourth floor has rides and arcade games, the Chaplin cinema is on the second floor, and the food court on the third. Even without buying anything, the view up into the tent's cable-and-cushion roof is worth the visit.

When to go

Khan Shatyr is an all-season attraction and is especially welcome in winter, when outdoor temperatures in Astana can fall below −30 °C. Weekends are livelier, with events and children's programmes.

Plan your visit

Verified information

Address: 37 Turan Avenue, Astana. Source: khanshatyr.com ↗
Opening hours: Daily 10:00 to 22:00; Friday and Saturday 10:00 to 23:00. Source: khanshatyr.com ↗
Sky Beach Club: On the fifth floor, open 10:00 to 21:00. Source: khanshatyr.com ↗
Parking: 700 parking spaces. Source: khanshatyr.com ↗

Checked against the sources on 31 October 2026. Opening times and fees can change — confirm before you go.

Travel tips

Bring swimwear if you plan to visit the Sky Beach Club.
Come on a winter day to experience the contrast between the tent's climate and the steppe outside.
Look up from the central atrium to see the cable-and-cushion roof structure.
Check the mall's events listing for weekend concerts and children's programmes.
Walk east along Nurzhol Boulevard to Baiterek afterwards.

General guidance from our specialists, not official information.

Around Khan Shatyr: food, markets & places to stay

Khan Shatyr is at the western end of Nurzhol Boulevard, which leads past fountains and towers to Baiterek and on to the Akorda presidential palace. The Nur Alem sphere and the former EXPO 2017 grounds are a short distance to the south.

Khan Shatyr & what’s nearby

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Khan Shatyr in pictures

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