Astana has the status of the capital city of Kazakhstan from December 10, 1997. The population of Astana is about 700,000, it is the second largest city in the country after former capital Almaty.

The main reason for moving the capital was the geographical location of the city – it is much more accessible to Russia and the chance of earthquake is much smaller. The following beautiful photos of Astana were taken by Stepanov Slava.

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Tags: Astana city

Islam is the most common religion among the believers in the Republic of Kazakhstan. A lot of cities in the country have picturesque mosques like the following ones.

Mosque “Nur-Astana”, Astana

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Tags: Islam · mosques

The nature of Karaganda oblast is beautiful but this land also preserves the historical memory of the tragic events happened in its past. The following memorials are dedicated to the victims of Stalin’s repressions. The photos were captured by mishgun.

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Tags: Karaganda oblast · landscapes · memorials

Khodzha Akhmed Yasavi Mausoleum was built in Turkestan in 1396-1399 on the orders of emir Timur by Persian masters. The mausoleum is a masterpiece of Central Asian architecture representing the architectural heritage of past centuries. In June 2003, the Mausoleum received the status of UNESCO World Heritage Site. The photos were captured by Semyonova.

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Tags: Khodzha Akhmed Yasavi Mausoleum · Turkestan city

Karkaralinsk town is located about 220 kilometers to the east of Karaganda at an altitude of 815 meters above sea level. Pristine beauty of Karkaraly mountains and forests, lush vegetation of the valleys, clear lakes – all this is remembered for a long time by everyone who has visited this region at least once. Unique museum of nature is open near Karkaralinsk having thousands of exhibits that reveal the richness of flora and fauna of this mountain-forest area. The photos were captured by Kochmaryov.

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Tags: Karaganda oblast · Karkaraly

Great photos of the plants located in Pavlodar city. The places are looking like real hell on earth. The photos were captured by Stepanov Slava.

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Tags: Pavlodar city · plants

Beautiful views of one of the main avenues of Almaty captured by Ispanec in July 2010.

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Tags: Al-Faraby avenue · Almaty city

Almaty city is surrounded by the mountains and the following sceneries of heavy smog are common. The photos were captured by rdbxyz.

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Tags: Almaty city · smog

Medeo is a sports complex built at an altitude of 1691 meters above sea level, near the former capital city of Kazakhstan – Almaty. Medeo is the highest mountain range in the world for winter sports with the largest area of artificial ice field – 10500 square meters. The following photos were captured by Stepanov Slava.

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Tags: Almaty oblast · Medeo ice rink

Koshkar-Ata necropolis is located in Mangystau oblast of Kazakhstan and has the status of the monument of 10th-19th centuries protected by the state. The photos were captured by Ruprix.

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Tags: Mangystau oblast · necropolis