Strolling in Astana 🇰🇿. August 2024. Baiterek square

#strollinginastana #genuineastana #walkinastana

Baiterek (tall poplar tree) is a monument and observation tower in Astana, the capital city of Kazakhstan. A tourist attraction popular with foreign visitors and Kazakhs, it is emblematic of the city, which became capital of the country in 1997. The tower is located on Nurjol Boulevard, and is considered a symbol of post-independence Kazakhstan.

The 105 meters tall structure rises from a wide flat base within a raised plaza. It consists of a narrow cylindrical shaft, surrounded by white branch-like girders that flare out near the top, supporting a gold-mirrored 22 meter diameter sphere. The base contains a ticket booth and exhibition space, with two lifts rising within the shaft to the observation deck within the 'egg'. Entrances to the monument are sunk below eye level, reached by stairs from the surrounding plaza.

The observation deck is 97 meters above ground level. It consists of two levels, one with 360 degree views of Astana and beyond, with a second, higher level, reached by a flight of stairs. The top level features a gilded hand print of the right hand of Nursultan Nazarbayev, the first President of independent Kazakhstan, mounted in an ornate pedestal. A plaque invites visitors to place a hand in the imprint and make a wish.

The monument was built as a symbol of the transfer of the capital from Alma Ata to Astana in 1997.

The monument is meant to embody a folktale about a mythical tree of life and a magic bird of happiness: the bird, named Simurgh, laid her egg in the crevice between two branches of the tree.