Almaty

Нур-Султан, столица Казахстана, — самый современный и стильный город страны, привлекающий посетителей своими уникальными архитектурными решениями. Город расположен на берегу реки Ишим, которая разделяет его на правый и левый берег. Особенно впечатляет левый берег, где расположены все характерные постройки.

Постепенно банки и другие значимые организации переносят свои штаб-квартиры в Астану из Алматы, бывшей столицы Казахстана. Желательно избегать посещения Астаны с туристическими целями в холодное время года, поскольку даже жителям Сибири температура может показаться невыносимой. Зима в городе отмечена резкими, пронзительными ветрами. И наоборот, лето в Астане может быть довольно жарким.

Астана гордится тем, что принимает международную специализированную выставку ЭКСПО-2017. Это событие существенно повысило статус Казахстана на мировой арене. За три месяца выставку посетило более 4 миллионов человек. Сегодня в сфере «Нур-Алем», которая была главным зданием ЭКСПО, располагается музей.

Астана также известна своим хоккейным клубом «Барыс», который пользуется известностью далеко за пределами родного города. Матчи команды неизменно собирают заполненные стадионы.

Столица Казахстана – это, безусловно, город, который стоит посетить хотя бы раз в жизни.

The third largest city in the country – Shymkent is in the south of Kazakhstan. This is one of the largest industrial and commercial centers of the Republic, located relatively close to the borders with Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, as well as their capitals - Tashkent and Bishkek.

In 2011, Shymkent was voted "Best City in the CIS", according to the assessment of the International Assembly of Capitals and Cities.

Until 1992 the city was called in Russian - Chimkent. Consonant with the name Shymkent, it reveals its etymology as a "green city". In Turkic "Chim" or "Shym" means "turf", "meadow," and Kent stands for the "city".

Turkestan is one of the oldest cities in Kazakhstan. It was founded in 418. It is known that in the tenth century the city was called Shavgar (Shavagar). It was part of the Samanids state.

In the XII century, Shavgar disappeared from written sources, but Yasi (Yassy) appeared, which was also located on the territory of present-day Turkestan.

In the XII century, the famous philosopher and poet Khoja Ahmed Yasawi lived and was buried in Yasi. In 1398, when Yasi was part of Tamerlane's empire, the ruler erected a mausoleum over the philosopher's grave and built a mosque. It is to this mausoleum that pilgrims are coming in an endless stream today. The religious complex is also included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Since the XVI century, Yasi has become the main city of the Kazakh Khanate. At the same time, it was renamed Turkestan. The Mint appeared here, where silver money with the image of rulers began to be printed. This is confirmed by archaeological excavations.

Jules Verne and Herbert Wells had highlighted the issue of space flights long before the first rocket was launched, but the trigger for space travel was a war, the Cold War between USSR and USA. A nuclear weapon had to be delivered to the enemy at the rocket speed; thus they started tests that demanded testing areas. This is how the history of Baikonur started.

In 1954 authorities of the USSR put a task for scientists and military officers to find a convenient place for testing area construction. Few conditions applied: large underpopulated and non-agricultural region, availability of railway station for delivering cargo and rocket blocks, accessibility of drinking and technical waters, and some others. There were only 3 suitable places found on the territory of the vast country. The steppe region of Kazakhstan at the shores of Syr-Darya, close to the small village Tyuratam, with a railroad Moscow-Tashkent nearby, suited the best for the construction of the cosmodrome.