Astana is the capital city of Kazakhstan, straddling the Ishim River in the north of the country. Along the left bank, the ultramodern, 97m-tall Bayterek tower offers panoramic views from its observation deck. The Ak Orda Presidential Palace is topped with a massive blue-and-gold dome. The giant, tentlike Khan Shatyr Entertainment Center houses a shopping mall and indoor beach resort.

On the right bank, the National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan houses Kazakh contemporary art and exhibits on the history of the country and Astana. In the middle of Presidential Park, the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation is a distinctive glass pyramid containing an opera house. Independence Square is home to the towering Kazakh Eli monument and the Palace of Independence, with its scale model of Astana in the year 2030. The city’s mosques include the giant Hazret Sultan Mosque, constructed in typical Kazakh style, and Nur-Astana Mosque, featuring classical Islamic architecture.

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