Another enormous mosque, the Nur-Astana was built in 2005 to commemorate an agreement between President Nazarbayev and the former Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani. This place will make you feel like an Eastern folk tale. More than 5000 worshippers can quickly pray inside the mosque. Only men may enter the prayer hall, so women must use the upper gallery. On the occasion of festivals, Nur-Astana Mosque is completely decorated with electric lights adding beauty to it.

The 40-metre height of the Nur-Astana Mosque symbolised the age of Prophet Muhammad when he received his first divine revelation. The 63-metre high minarets symbolise the prophet’s age when he passed away. The unique Quran from the Saudi Arabian government’s printing office is also kept here, as well as the Kiswah - the cloth that covers the Kaaba. There are four minarets in each corner of the Nur-Astana and the entire mosque is primarily painted white while the dome is painted golden.

Location: Qabanbay Batyr Ave 36, Astana, Kazakhstan
Website: https://kazakhstan.travel/tourist-spot/en/188/nur-astana-mosque
Tel: 7 7172 44 61 65
Hour: Open all hours
Google Rating: 4.9/5

Hazrat Sultan Mosque is the largest mosque in Astana, Kazakhstan. It took three years to build and was inaugurated in 2012. Considered to be one of the main landmarks in Central Asia, its construction engaged around 1,500 builders and masters. The mosque was named in honour of the Sufi saint Khoja Ahmed Yassawi, a poet, philosopher and sheikh. The mosque can house up to 10,000 people and has rooms for tabernacles, wedding ceremonies, and Quran reading.

Hazrat Sultan Mosque is built in a classical Islamic style and uses traditional Kazakh ornaments. It consists of three floors. The first floor has a wedding hall and other auxiliary rooms. On the second floor, a men’s prayer room for four thousand people is located. The third floor contains a women’s prayer room for one thousand people. Hazrat Sultan has the biggest dome in Kazakhstan with a height of 51 meters.

The Hazrat Sultan Mosque are four minarets 77 m tall. According to the architectural design, the sanctuary should have an 80-meter pinnacle with a crescent moon pointed at Mecca. The landscaped territory around the mosque has five fountains, decorative illuminations on the facade, and general lighting. The mosque complex includes an open parking lot for 745 cars, and its location makes it accessible to cars from several sides.

Location: Tauelsizdik Ave 48, Astana, Kazakhstan
Website: https://kazakhstan.travel/tourist-spot/en/189/hazrat-sultan-mosque
Tel: 7 7172 28 00 18
Hour: Open all hours
Google Rating: 4.9/5

Khan Shatyr is basically a giant, glowing tent. It was built in the neo-futurist style, it was unveiled in 2006. Designed by UK architect Norman Foster, this is the highest tent structure in the world. The 150 metres tall tent itself is enormous with a 140,000-square-metre base. It is equal to the 10 football stadiums. When you enter the Khan Shatyr, you will find many interesting things. There is a dinosaur park and various shopping malls and resorts.

Whether you want to enjoy boating, the Khan Shatyr will fulfill all your desires. The translucent material allows daylight to wash the interiors while sheltering them from weather extremes. Low-level jets direct cool air across the space, while vents at the apex induce natural stack-effect ventilation. The challenge in winter is to prevent ice forming on the inside of the envelope. The Khan Shatyr is achieved by a combination of temperature control and directing warm air currents up the inner fabric surface, a strategy that also prevents downdraughts.

Location: Turan Ave 37, Astana, Kazakhstan
Website: https://www.khanshatyr.com/en
Hour: Open all hours
Google Rating: 4.8/5

The Assumption Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Astana can welcome up to four thousand people and appears to be the largest in Central Asia. The decision to build the cathedral was made in 2004 and the first stone was laid in January 2006. The cathedral is open every day from 8 am to 7 pm, and the services are performed every day. For those interested in the historical part of Nur-Sultan, you can visit one of the oldest shopping malls in the Assumption Cathedral.

The area of the Assumption Cathedral covers around two thousand square meters, whereas the height is 68 m. It consists of three chapels: the main one - is built in honour of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, on the left side is the chapel that honours the Archangel Michael, and the one on the right side honours Saints Cyril and Methodius. The lower temple is made in honour of the new martyrs and confessors of Kazakhstan, while the upper and lower churches have two confessionals each. All the interior artwork in Assumption Cathedral was painted by artists from Palekh in Russia.

Location: Kuyshi Dina St 27, Astana, Kazakhstan
Website: http://sobor.kz/node/171
Tel: 7 7172 35 07 32
Hour: 8:00 AM - 19:00 PM

Google Rating: 4.8/5

The State Opera and Ballet Theatre “Astana Opera” was founded in 2013 on the initiative of the First President of Kazakhstan N. Nazarbayev. It is the third-largest opera theatre in the world. The technical capabilities of the theatre conform to international standards. The architectural perfection of the Astana Opera does not concede the famous opera theatres of the world such as the "La Scala" in Milan, the Royal Theatre in Madrid, the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, the Metropolitan Opera in New York and others.

In the Astana Opera, the main hall has 1250 seats. The area of the building is 64 thousand square meters. A scenic area occupies about 3,000 square meters. The tickets can get very expensive, but if you want to see a good Kazakh, Russian or Italian opera this is the place to be. Apart from shows, the building is worth the visit—filled to the brim with exciting pieces of art. The staff is very polite and helpful. The theatre has also opened a children's drama school, where young artists learn theatrical skills by preparing for performances on the magnificent stage of "Astana Opera" in the future.

Location: Dinmukhamed Qonayev St 1, Astana, Kazakhstan
Website: https://astanaopera.kz/en
Tel: 7 7172 70 96 00
Hour: Open all hours
Google Rating: 4.8/5

Baiterek is the most prominent symbol of Astana and Kazakhstan as a whole. It was completed in 2002 by designer Akmursa Rustembekov and his team. Local tourists and foreign visitors come here and enjoy the stunning scenes from this tower. Baiterek is meant to embody a Kazakh folk tale about a mythical tree of life and a magic bird of happiness, named Samruk, which is believed to have laid its egg between the branches of this mythic tree.

Baiterek Tower is situated on Nurjol Boulevard, a pedestrian zone in the business and administrative centre on the left bank of the Ishim river in Nur-Sultan. The height of the top floor is 97 meters and if we include an antenna spire, it becomes 105 meters. The Baiterek Tower has a mesmerizing look and the fountain, park, and green grass add beauty to it. If you buy a ticket you can go to the observation deck and get a 360-degree view of the surrounding city. At the top lies a gilded handprint of the president of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Äbishuly Nazarbayev, which is actually mounted on a pedestal.

Location: Astana, Kazakhstan

Website: https://baiterek.gov.kz/kk/

Tel: 7 7172 44 64 72

Hour: 9:00 AM - 21:00 PM

Google Rating: 4.6/5

The National Museum of Kazakhstan is centrally located and stands next to the Independence Palace, the Palace of Peace and Harmony, and the Hazrat Sultan Mosque. It opened in July of 2014 with symbolizing the nation’s sovereignty. In the National Museum, themed halls comprise interactive displays and artefact exhibits, ranging from a yurt in the Hall of Ethnography to a chronicle of the capital's modern history in the Hall of Astana.

Highlights include the Hall of Ethnography, with its rich collection of objects related to Kazakhstan's nomadic culture. You don't miss the Golden Hall, which houses several thousand Bronze Age ornaments from the famed 'Golden Man'– a warrior whose gold-clad remains were uncovered in 1969. Visitors are welcomed into the glorious entry hall by a giant golden eagle soaring over a vast map of the country. For an extra fee, visitors can receive permission to photograph, you can get an audio guide and visit the whole National Museum of Kazakhstan.

Location: Tauelsizdik Ave 54, Astana, Kazakhstan
Website: https://nmrk.kz/en/
Tel: 7 7172 91 90 35
Hour: 10:00 AM - 18:00 PM
Google Rating: 4.6/5

What country first comes to mind when you hear the word "pyramid"? Of course, Egypt! However, Kazakhstan has its own pyramid - The Palace of Peace and Reconciliation. Designed by architectural practice Foster and Partners, and surmounted by a modern stained glass apex by Brian Clarke, the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation was constructed to house the triennial Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, and completed in 2006.

The Palace of Peace and Reconciliation contains rooms for different belief systems such as Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism and other religions. In addition, there lies an opera house, a museum of culture, a university, a library and a research centre. This impressive building really must be seen to be believed. The construction is of steel frame for the pyramid and concrete for the lower levels.

The building reaches a height of 62 meters from ground level. It has been painted in the colour of its national flag from the outside to give the feel of patriotism. Overall, you will feel good after visiting there as well as have an excellent experience. The Palace of Peace and Reconciliation also has an opera house that can seat up to 1,500 people and occasionally will host different art exhibitions.

Location: Tauelsizdik Ave 57, Astana, Kazakhstan
Website: https://kazakhstan.travel/tourist-spot/en/177/palace-of-peace-and-reconciliation
Tel: 7 7172 74 47 44
Hour: 10:00 Am - 19:00 PM
Google Rating: 4.5/5

The next worth-seeing destination in Astana is the Museum of the First President of Kazakhstan. The museum was founded by the President's Decree on August 28, 2004. There are several halls inside this building that are decorated with historical memory. The Presidential Museum has a dome-shaped top on which a national flag is always flowing. The first interior and furniture of the study and halls did not change from the time of the Head of state.

The archives of the Museum of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan have more 124 000 units of storage at the present time. The museum collection has more than 8 000 exhibits. 16 000 copies of books and editions are presented in the President's personal library. A unique exhibition of the highest rewards of foreign countries called "President's award is gratitude to people" is presented in one of the most beautiful halls "Silver hall". Visitors are interested in the study of the Head of the state preserved in the primaeval condition.

Location: Astana City Center, Kazakhstan
Website: https://culturemap.kz/en/object/muzeiy-pervogo-prezidenta-respubliki-kazahstan
Tel: 7 7172 75 12 96
Hour: Open all hours
Google Rating: 4.5/5

Ak Orda is the next worth-seeing tourist place in Nur-Sultan which is nothing but the name of the Presidential Palace. Many people have the confusion that it is the residence of the president of Kazakstan, but it is not correct. It is the president’s place of work and houses the staff of the Presidential Administration, not the president’s house.

The total area of the Presidential Palace makes up 36 720 square meters. The building has a total of seven floors with various halls and it has the total height from the ground level is 80 meters. It is made from solid concrete with the use of the most up-to-date construction methods and advanced engineering equipment. It has a dome-shaped roof with a spire. At the top of the dome, there is a golden colour sun with 32 rays at its apex.

In Presidential Palace, all halls of the residence have exclusive internal decoration, chandeliers and furniture. The floors are trimmed with various sorts of marble, granite and art parquet. The 1800 square meters central ceremonial hall is situated on the ground floor. It is designated for official receptions in front of the guard of honour. There is also a large ground in front of the Presidential Palace in which various types of plants, flowers, and green grass are planted.

Location: Astana City Center, Kazakhstan

Website: https://www.akorda.kz/en/republic_of_kazakhstan/akorda

Tel: 7 702 383 3734

Hour: 7:30 AM - 20:00 PM

Google Rating: 4.4/5