In 1997, the capital of Kazakhstan was moved to Astana from Almaty to take advantage of Astana more favorable location as it is closer to Russia and the risk of earthquake is much less.

Nowadays, the city is becoming a new cosmopolitan western-style city with skyscrapers and offices of intercontinental oil corporations.

Famous Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa worked on the master plan of the city. Many of the buildings were designed by famous architect Norman Foster. Photos by Petr Ushanov

enjoy the modern architecture of Astana

Tags: Astana city

Almaty is the largest city in Kazakhstan with a population of about 1.5 million people known as the “Southern Capital”.

The city is located in the center of the Eurasian continent, in the south-east of Kazakhstan, at the foot of the mountains of Trans-Ili Alatau – the most northern ridge of Tien Shan mountains at an altitude of 600 to 1650 meters above sea level. Photos by Max Zolotuhin for voxpopuli.kz

Almaty from above

Tags: Almaty city

Aktau is a city in south-western Kazakhstan built in a waterless desert on the shores of the Caspian Sea in the Soviet times. It was the center of mining of uranium ore, its processing and enrichment.

Nowadays, it is the center of oil and natural gas extraction in Mangystau region. Aktau port is the only port in Kazakhstan used for international transportation of crude oil and petroleum products.

A couple of interesting facts about Aktau

Tags: Aktau city

This great video clip showing one day in the life of former Kazakhstan capital city Almaty was shot in the summer and fall of 2012.

Almaty is a sunny, cozy, green city with wide streets, beautiful buildings, numerous parks, gardens and fountains. This city at the foot of the emerald Tien Shan mountains is called “garden city.”

Gardens, groves, parks, boulevards, flower gardens occupy more than eight thousand acres of the urban area.

Tags: Almaty city · time-lapse

Shymkent, the regional center of South Kazakhstan oblast, is the third largest city in Kazakhstan. It is also one of the largest industrial and commercial centers of the country.

The city attracts the attention of travelers and scholars from ancient times. Since Shymkent is the center of the region, it is the start of the majority of travel routes to various parts of the region.

(more…)

Tags: Shymkent city · time-lapse

A great time-lapse video about the city of Almaty and the surrounding area shot by Pavel Tenyakov in 2012. Totally, over 55,000 photos have been taken and the best ones are in this video. I recommend to watch this video in full screen in HD quality. Enjoy!

Tags: Almaty city · time-lapse

Ust-Kamenogorsk (Oskemen) is a city located in East Kazakhstan region of the country. The city lies in the foothills of Rudny Altay mountains at the junction of Ulba and Irtysh rivers.

The city was founded as a Russian fort in 1720. Later Ust-Kamenogorsk became a center of trade with Mongolia and China and the gateway to the mineral wealth of the Rudny Altay mountains. Today it is Kazakhstan major center of nonferrous metallurgy with important associated research institutes and laboratories.

Tags: Ust-Kamenogorsk city

Fountains and extensive network of channels play an important role in Almaty. Together they create a single set of ponds and streams in the city. The main task is watering green spaces and creating a favorable climate, especially in the hot and dry season.

The first fountain appeared in Almaty in 1948. Currently, the city has more than 125 fountains. Since 2005, May 25 is celebrated as the Day of the Fountains – this day at 9 pm all the fountains of Almaty start working. Fountains work from May 25 to October 25, from 10 am to 2 am on a single schedule.

Tags: Almaty city · fountains · time-lapse

Shymkent, the third largest city in the country, is the capital of South Kazakhstan region. Shymkent has been attracting travelers and scientists for a long time.

It is a good place to stop to explore ancient cities of Otyrar, Turkestan, and Sayram. There are such types of tours as historical places, exotic places, hunting and fishing, mountain tourism. In South Kazakhstan there are also saint places and architectural constructions which are visited by pilgrims.

Tags: Shymkent city · time-lapse

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).

(more…)

Tags: Almaty city · night