Most beautiful places
Cities, monuments, nature and holy sites
ResortBurabayThe "Kazakh Switzerland" — a resort of pine forests, cliffs and lakes 250 km north of Astana.Read more →
Leisure centreMedeu skating rinkThe world's most famous high-altitude skating rink, at 1,691 metres — the "factory of records".Read more →
Leisure centreKhan ShatyrAn entertainment centre in Astana shaped like a giant transparent tent, with a tropical beach inside, designed by Norman Foster.Read more →
ResortShymbulakCentral Asia's best-known ski resort, in the Tien Shan just outside Almaty; it hosted events of the 2011 Asian Winter Games.Read more →
CityAstanaKazakhstan's capital since 1997 — a city of modern architecture raised quickly on the steppe, symbolised by the Baiterek tower.Read more →
CityAlmatyKazakhstan's largest city and its capital until 1997 — a green "city of apples" at the foot of the Tien Shan.Read more →
CityTurkistan (city)The city of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi — one of the spiritual centres of the Turkic world, capital of Turkistan Region since 2018.Read more →
ShrineMausoleum of Khoja Ahmed YasawiA vast mausoleum built on Timur's orders at the end of the 14th century — one of the most revered shrines of the Turkic world. A UNESCO site since 2003.Read more →
NatureCharyn CanyonA red-rock canyon more than 150 km long, about 200 km east of Almaty; its most famous stretch is the Valley of Castles.Read more →
NatureBig Almaty LakeA turquoise mountain lake 2,500 metres up, 15 km south of Almaty.Read more →
NatureLake KaindyA mountain lake formed after the 1911 earthquake — a "sunken forest" of dead spruce trunks rising from the water.Read more →
NatureBozzhyra ValleyA valley of white chalk cliffs on the edge of the Ustyurt plateau in Mangystau, with an otherworldly landscape.Read more →
Why Kazakhstan?
Discover the culture
Instruments, dances, crafts and carpets
Traditional dressSaukele and Kazakh national dressThe bride's tall conical headdress, the saukele, and men's chapan coat and fur hat — the clothing art of nomadic life.Read more →
DanceKara Zhorga"The black ambler" — a cheerful Kazakh dance imitating a horse's ambling gait and a rider's gallop, now the dance of mass flash mobs.Read more →
CarpetTekemet and syrmak: Kazakh felt carpetsPressed (tekemet) and stitched (syrmak) felt carpets of wool, whose favourite motif is the ram's horn.Read more →
InstrumentDombraThe national instrument of the Kazakhs — a two-string, long-necked, fretted lute. Dombra Day is celebrated in Kazakhstan on the first Sunday of July.Read more →
CraftKazakh yurt (kiyiz üy)The nomads' collapsible felt house; its crown, the shanyrak, appears on Kazakhstan's emblem. The craft has been UNESCO heritage since 2014.Read more →
InstrumentKobyzAn ancient two-string bowed instrument strung with horsehair, associated with Kazakh shamans (baksy) and Korkyt Ata.Read more →
CraftKazakh jewelleryBracelets, earrings and hair ornaments of silver, gold, coral and turquoise — Kazakh jewellers (zerger) crafted symbols of protection and beauty.Read more →
InstrumentSybyzgyA long end-blown flute of reed or wood; the player sings a low throat drone while playing the melody.Read more →
National cuisine
The taste and tradition of the table
DishBeshbarmakThe king of the Kazakh table — boiled horse meat or mutton on thin sheets of dough with an onion sauce; its name means "five fingers".Read more →
DishKazy and kartaKazakh delicacies of horse meat: kazy, a sausage of rib meat and fat, and karta, made from horse intestine.Read more →
DishKuyrdakA Kazakh dish of liver, heart, kidneys and meat from a freshly slaughtered animal, fried with onion.Read more →
DishBaursakRound or square pieces of dough fried in hot fat — the constant bread of the Kazakh table.Read more →
DishKurt (dried curd)Salted, dried balls of strained yoghurt — the nomads' travel food that keeps for months.Read more →
DishKumis (qymyz)Fermented mare's milk, the ancient drink of nomadic Turks; the spring kymyzmuryndyk rites have been UNESCO heritage since 2018.Read more →
DishShubatFermented camel's milk — the thick, nourishing drink of southern and western Kazakhstan.Read more →
DishNauryz kozheA soup of seven ingredients cooked only at Nauryz — a symbol of the new year's abundance.Read more →
Notable people
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From places to visit to national days: every section of the country in one place.
On the map
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