Kazakhstan

Celebrating Nowruz the Central Asian way

Framed by the snowy peaks of the Tian Shan mountains on the southern horizon, two teams of horsemen gather at centre field in Bishkek's Ak-Kula Hippodrome to compete in the championship match of Kyrgyzstan's national sport, kok-boru.

In a scene that plays out with small variations across the major cities of Central Asia each March, celebrations for the traditional Nowruz holiday – Central Asia's largest – begin early with horse games, performances and picnics and last late into the night with pop concerts and fireworks displays. Nowruz is typically celebrated on 20 or 21 March, though dates vary each year.

Stephen Lioy

Lonely Planet Writer

Two-week traveller: choose your Central Asia adventure

Once the realm of Silk Road merchants and Great Game spies, the Heavenly Mountains and Black Sand deserts of the 'Stans, as the five countries of Central Asia are affectionately known, have historically been the stuff of epic overland trips taking many months and much bureaucracy.

With the region’s flight connections burgeoning and red tape shrinking, it’s finally possible for the two-week traveller to experience Central Asia.

Stephen Lioy

Lonely Planet Writer

A tour of Astana's wacky and wonderful architecture

Kazakhstan might be best known for its nomadic roots, but its new capital city, Astana, is making waves with a surrealist skyline. When the government moved the capital to this small city on the northern steppe in 1997, it was essentially a tiny outpost. But nowadays, the skies here glitter with obscurely-tilted glass and wavy gold towers.

The city has invited star architects like Norman Foster and Kisho Kurokawa to reinvent Astana's look, transforming the city into an urban landscape that makes you feel a little bit like you've travelled forward in time.