Similar to Peter the Great constructing St Petersburg and Philip II of Spain developing Madrid, President Nursultan Nazarbayev decided to turn a rundown steppe town into the national capital. This decision was made in 1994 and work commenced three years after this decision. Astana chosen for a huge architectural makeover had long been declining and was home to poor Russian agricultural workers. With crumbling tower blocks, slum-like peasant housing, and battered infrastructure, this city was a complete dump.
With the decision to makeover this city to boost kazakhstan tourism, tens of thousands government personnel moved northwards. The President provided a rational explanation of his decision by providing an insight to the population that had grown from four hundred thousand to over one point five million. The modern architectural style of this city is idiosyncratic with a dizzying combination of clashing colors and shapes. Nonetheless, it is suitable for one hundred ethnic groups. The Banana Building is a yellow canary shaped building while a seven squat cylindrical construction is known as the Seven Beer Barrels.
The Baiterek Tower is a spiky tall construction with aluminum and glass ball at the top and is located in the center of this city. As a symbol of Astana and independent country, you need to go up ninety-seven meters to reach the dome and enjoy an unobstructed view of the city in all directions. When you go up the dome as part of your kazakhstan tourism itinerary, it is customary to see the green malachite plinth in the center where a five kilo silver disc with the President’s hand print is crafted in two kilos of gold. This country is huge and distances are enormous. Located at about hundred miles to the southeast, some of the popular kazakhstan tourism destinations include the Korgalzhyn State Natural Reserve and Burabay National Park.