Islam in Kazakhstan

Islam reached the Kazakh lands in the 8th–10th centuries through the cities of the Syr Darya — Otrar, Sayram and Taraz. Khoja Ahmed Yasawi's Turkic-language hikmet did much to spread Islam among the steppe peoples.

Kazakh Islam is interwoven with nomadic customs: reverence for the spirits of ancestors, pilgrimage to holy sites and ancient festivals such as Nauryz are still alive.

According to the 2021 census, 69.3% of the population is Muslim. Kazakhstan is a secular state, and since 2003 Astana has hosted the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions.