Day 11 (July 10, 2025):

We did a little better this morning, in terms of getting out the door to start our day earlier: 9:30 AM and we were in a Yandex to Baiterek Tower, which opened at 10AM. After a very bizarre lineup experience to get in, which I’ll explain a little later, we headed to the northeast of the city, where there is an impressive cluster of sites, including the National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Independence Square, Hazrat Sultan Mosque, and the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation. From there, we headed to The cities largest Russian Orthodox Church and on to City Park for a good stroll, including over the modern Atyrau Bridge, which crosses the Ishim River. Not long afterwards, out of nowhere, it started to pour rain. We took shelter near some vendors for half an hour, and then, when the rain stopped, we returned to the hotel for late afternoon hot beverages in the Sheraton Club Lounge. At 9:30 PM, we went back to Baiterek Tower and walked Nurzhol Boulevard to see the evening lights. And that was our second day in Astana. 

Atop Baiterek Tower:

Yesterday, we waited, half an hour in line to ascend the tower, Astana’s most popular tourist site. However, the lineup was moving so slowly, we decided to ditch that idea and to return this morning first thing. When we arrive there just after 9:30, the tent at the base of the tower, which serves as awaiting area, had no lineup, but people were sitting on benches around the perimeter of the inside of the tent. Coming from a culture where you’re not in line until you’re in line, we went to the head of the line. Oh no, that’s not how it works here. Someone promptly told us where our place in the nonexistent line would be. A few minutes before 10 AM, the admissions people announced that the line would form. After a bit of organized chaos, all the people who had been sitting on the benches around the perimeter of the tent, created a line and told us where our place would be in that line. Somehow it all worked.

We had a wonderful time at top of the tower and enjoyed the views of the city, although the tower’s windows have gold-tinted glass, which explains the lighting effect you see on the first several pictures in this blog entry.

The very top of the top of the tower!

The view to the east: Pam, with Nurzhol Boulevard and the Presidential Palace behind her.

The view to the west: an attractive housing, office and retail complex in white. 

The view to the south: the Ministry of Defence building. 

The ‘egg’ is the National Archives. 

Nazarbayev Center holds the National Leaders’ Library. It was designed by Norman Foster and has been nicknamed the ‘Magnifier’ and the ‘Spotlight’.

National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan:

Traditional Kazakh dress. 

Traditional Kazakh wedding dress. 

Yurt. 

Yours are made of felt. Apparently, handmade Kazakh felt is durable against the wind and elements of the Steppe. 

A video at the museum showed the many steps involved in making handmade felt.

Soviet rocket. Kazakhstan has one of the planet’s three spaceports, the other two being Cape Canaveral, Florida, and Juiquan, China. 

The museum also had a good collection of visual art. Kazakhstan has some amazing painters. 

Independence Square:

Kazakh Eli Monument is 91 m high and is commemorates the year that Kazakhstan gained independence. The bird ‘Samruk’ tops the monument and symbolizes the country’s commitment to development and prosperity.

The Palace of Independence, just off the Square, is massive. But it appeared closed. We could find no way in.

“Shabyt” Kazakh National University of the Arts. 

Across the street from independence Square is Hazrat Sultan Mosque, completed in 2012. 

Palace of Peace and Reconciliation:

View of the city Center and Presidential Palace from the hill on which the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation stands. 

Inside the pyramid, looking at the pinnacle. 

Doves were designed in the exterior glasswork but can only be seen from inside the pyramid. 

Opera hall within the pyramid. 

Adormirea Maicii Domnului Russian Orthodox Cathedral:

Astana Central Park:

Caspian Sturgeon statue just before the start of the Atyrau Bridge. 

Various flavours of ‘kurt’. The seller wanted to know our thoughts on Kazakhstan and, with the help of his phone translation app, asked us lots of questions. He gave us a bag of various pieces of flavoured kurt, just to be nice and wanting nothing in return. 

Atyrau Pedestrian Bridge:

View of Ishim River and Qaraötkel Bridge from the Atyrau Bridge. 

Kenesary Kahn statue on the east bank of the Ishim River.  And that is when the rain started!

Nighttime Walk on Nurzol Boulevard:

Baiterek Tower at night. 

Looking east on Nurzol Boulevard towards the Presidential Palace. 

The same view as above, just zoomed in. 

We just missed the ‘singing fountain’ music and light fountain show. But we were still able to see some colourful fountain works.