Interim President Toqaev recently decreed the capital’s name has changed to honour the President that has recently stepped down from the role after 30 years rule, Nursultan Nazarbaev. Not a popular move in the eyes of the public apparently because it ‘honours’ years of political oppression and autocratic rule.
A visionary despot with progressive views about the importance of education, investment in infrastructure, culture and technological competency, economic reform – Nursultan oversaw the transformation of the country (from the legacy left after the collapse of the Soviet Union), to becoming one of the most modernized in Central Asia. A country with a population of about 18 million, oil-rich, the majority religion being Muslim, with Kazakh and Russian being spoken as languages.
Nur-Sultan is a city that’s been master planned, with an extensive ‘green belt’. I particularly came to see it’s incredible modernist architecture, and I have not been disappointed. Hope you enjoy the images.
Firstly, the beautiful Baiterek tower, emblematic of the city and considered a symbol of post-independence Kazakhstan.
Jumped on a bus to visit the Khan Shatyr Shopping and Entertainment Centre and got a dramatic image of the tent-like exterior of the building, just after a storm ended.
Expo 2017 hosted by Astana was on the theme “Future Energy – How do we ensure safe and sustainable access to energy for all while reducing CO2 emissions”? It was the first time that a major international exhibition of this kind was hosted in a country from the former Soviet Union. Adrian Smith and Gordon Gill Architecture out of Chicago won the design contract for the grounds. This image of the Expo site was taken after one storm had hit and another was developing.
The turquoise-tiled Central Concert Hall is a centre for performing arts, designed by Italian architects Manfredi Nicoletti, with a swirling, circular design intended to evoke the petals of a flower (I didn’t capture the image quite on the right angle). Symphony orchestra and traditional Kazakh music concerts are held here.
The Kazakhstan National University of the Arts is a bold blue dog bowl-like looking building, accommodating 1,000 students and 200 staff; and a syllabus that covers music, choreography, theatre, cinema and TV.
Hazrat Sultan Mosque is the largest mosque in Central Asia with a capacity for 10,000 worshippers. The colossal building resembles an oriental palace, whose 3 year construction involved over 1,500 builders. The mosque was named in honor of one of Sufi sheikhs – Khoja Ahmed Yassawi (the XII century), who was a poet, philosopher and Muslin saint. Two images of the mosque – one taken just after a deluge when I first arrived in the city and one taken on my last night.
I was too early for the cheesy sound and light show “singing fountains” which starts at 9:00PM in the evening – Las Vegas on the Kazakh steppe if you will. Still, a nice bit of colour during the blue hour as the sun was setting.
The Presidential Palace “Ak-Orda”, is a large white four-storey building, with a blue cupola – which houses the Grand Central Hall, the Hall of Press Conferences, Gala Hall and Winter Garden. Each of the floors and Halls have specific functions, for example, the Marble Hall is used to sign agreements with leaders of other states. The Oval Hall is designed for summit talks, and a hall in a form of a traditional Kazakh yurt (tent), a hall for extended negotiations.
I walked along the right embankment of the Ishim River just after sunset to capture an image of the Palace, and a slow shutter speed revealed a reflection of the Palace in the river, which pleased me greatly!
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