Must see attractions in Nur-Sultan (Astana)

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This huge blue-glass-and-white-marble museum covers the history and culture of Kazakhstan from ancient to modern times. Themed halls comprise interactive…

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Nur-Sultan's most extraordinary building (so far), the Khan Shatyr is a 150m-high, translucent, tentlike structure made of ethylene tetrafluoroethylene …

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This beautiful glass-and-steel pyramid was opened in 2006 as the home for the triennial Congress of World and Traditional Religions, hosted by Kazakhstan…

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Nurzhol bulvar's centrepiece is this 97m-high monument, a white latticed tower crowned by a large glass orb. This embodies a Kazakh legend in which the…

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The yurt-shaped museum showcases beautifully presented exhibitions on weaponry and warfare, with striking murals greeting visitors. On the ground floor,…

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This rare relic of the 1950s may be gone in a few years' time, banished by the relentless wrecking ball, but for now you can see this enormous, decaying…

The eastern half of Nurzhol bulvar starts with this plaza, which springs to life with music-and-water shows at 9pm on summer evenings. Further east stand…

Inside the former presidential palace, a succession of lavish galleries display gifts to President Nazarbayev from foreign governments and grateful…

The large, somewhat-untidy city park abuts the south side of the Ishim river. On its southern edge you'll find the Atameken, a 200m-long, walk-around…

The 91m-high tall Kazak Yeli monument, topped by a golden eagle, is intended to symbolise the historic destiny of Kazakhstan's people. The figures at the…

The rather squat Palace of Independence is well worth a visit especially for its huge scale model of how Nur-Sultan is planned to look in 2030. It also…

A block south of the western part of Nurzhol bulvar stands the beautiful four-minaret Nur Astana mosque, opened in 2005. Its prayer hall (for men only –…

Duman is a modern leisure centre most worth visiting for its oceanarium, which has over 3000 creatures from the world’s oceans and a 70m shark tunnel…

This huge mosque, opened in 2012, boasts Kazakhstan's largest dome, as well as beautifully marbled interiors. Look out for a splendid old copy of the…

Grandiose building that houses the offices of the president of Kazakhstan. You can only admire it from the outside.

These three undulating, light-green apartment towers are a prominent feature of the western part of the boulevard.

Striking office blocks whose tops splay outward like the pages of opening books.

The tall, gleaming, copper Transport & Communications Ministry, has been dubbed the ‘Lighter’ by irreverent locals. Ironically, there was a fire inside…

East of Khan Shatyr, across a park, stand the grand headquarters of the state energy company, KazMunayGaz.

This curved golden building, along with its southern twin, have been dubbed the 'Beer Cans' by locals.