July 6, 2012 the largest mosque in Kazakhstan and Central Asia “Hazrat Sultan” was opened in the capital city of the country Astana.

The building is constructed in the classic Islamic style using traditional Kazakh ornaments. The mosque standing on the right bank of the Yesil River is located near the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation, and a monument “Kazakh Eli”. Photos by voxpopuli.kz

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Tags: Astana city · mosques

One hundred fifteen athletes from Kazakhstan took part in twenty sports at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. In total, the national team won 13 medals (7 gold, 1 silver, 5 bronze).

Gold medals were won in the following disciplines: cycling (Alexander Vinokourov), weightlifting (Zulfiya Chinshanlo, Maya Maneza, Svetlana Podobedova, Ilya Ilyin), athletics (Olga Rypakova), boxing (Serik Sapiyev).

Thanks to all the athletes for their efforts!

Tags: athletes · Olympic games

Kazakhstan is usually associated with the endless steppes and semi-deserts but the south-eastern part of the country is bordered by Tien-Shan mountain range.

This region is known for its breathtaking landscapes, beautiful flora and fauna. Photos by Gregory Bedenko

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Tags: landscapes · Southern Kazakhstan

Almaty (Russian spelling – Alma-Ata) is Kazakhstan’s largest city. It is also known as the “Southern Capital” of the country. According to officials the population of Almaty is about 1.4 million people.

Unofficially (with the migrant workers) the population of the city is more than 2 million people (about 13% of the total population of Kazakhstan).

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Tags: Almaty city · night