The Central Mosque of Astana, inaugurated in 2022 in Kazakhstan, is the largest in Central Asia and one of the largest in the world.

It can accommodate around 30,000 worshippers inside and hundreds of thousands in its courtyard. Its huge 83-meter-high dome and 130-meter-high minarets dominate the capital.
Decorated with white marble, calligraphy, and a gigantic chandelier, it blends Islamic traditions with modern architecture. This place of worship is also a symbol of unity, culture, and the country’s religious influence.

Credits: Salomé Aldeguer-Roure (France)

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In Almaty, and perhaps more so than anywhere else in the Central Asian steppes, the layers of the past are reflected in the diverse architectural facades. The relocation of the capital to Astana in 1997 saved many Soviet buildings from mass destruction, including the most iconic structures designed by Dinmukhamed Kunayev (1912-1993). These modernist buildings are now the focus of citizen initiatives aimed at protecting a heritage threatened by the privatisation of the building stock. A green city renowned for integrating vegetation into its urban planning, Almaty is now seeing its streets filled with new buildings with mirrored glass façades. These constructions are intended to be emblematic of a globalised futuristic architecture, similar to that of Astana. However, this style has received a mixed reception, as evidenced by the reactions to the renovation of the Palace of the Republic.

Credits : Simone Bergonzi (Italy, @simobergz))

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Not far from the Hazrat Sultan Mosque, smoke from domestic fires fills a modest street.

In the background, Astana’s modern towers struggle to rise above the haze, a stark image of urban contrasts and heavy air.

Credit: Isabelle Vincent (France)

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A view over the Khan Shatyr entertainment center of Astana. This emblematic 150m-high structure designed by Norman Foster combines the shape of a traditional kazakh yurt with the most up-to-date engineering. The ETFE-made fabric roof allows to maintain a stable temperature between 15 and 30 degrees, despite the notorious extreme weather conditions of the city. With its quirky architecture and a growing offer of entertainment, Astana vows to become a major attraction in Central Asia for international tourists. A recent collaboration between Milan and Astana plans to increase the visibility and attractiveness of Kazakhstan and its capital among Italian tourists.

Crédit: Simone Bergonzi (Italie, @simobergz)

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The Paris Olympic Games have just come to an end, and everyone still has some vivid images of them. The BMX events on Place de la Concorde, for example, were a delight for photojournalists.

In Astana, BMX enthusiasts took to the esplanade of the Hazrat Sultan mosque. Are they dreaming of racing to the top of the minarets?

Credits : Antoine Cléraux (@antoin_k, France)

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It is a major attraction on the promenade along the River Ishim, and one of Astana’s many architectural boldnesses.

Designed by the Kazakh studio New Moon, the Atyrau Bridge takes its name and appearance from a species of sturgeon endemic to the Caspian Sea. The play of light and shadow created by the 2,500 pieces of roofing casing evokes the graphic lines of the fish’s scales.

Credits : Isabelle Vincent (France)

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Wedged between two ultra-modern facades and an Anglicised sign (ironically, Highvill could be transliterated as ‘high mountain village’), this sunset over Astana (Kazakhstan) is no less sumptuous.

Credits : Isabelle Vincent (France)

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The view of Bayterek Tower from the wintry park gives the bizarre building an almost festive appearance in the blaze of lights.

Photo: Connie Lee

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Residents on their way to their flats in a large housing estate on the outskirts of Nursultan, the capital of Kazakhstan.Credit: Raban Haaijk (Netherlands)Find all of our photos of the day here.

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Experiencing a futuristic elevator during the Astana 2017 Expo in the Kazakh capital of Nur Sultan, formerly known as Astana. Credit: Raban Haaijk (Netherlands) Find all of our photos of the day here.

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Nazarbaev Library in the Kazakh capital Nur-Sultan.Credit: Raban Haaijk (Netherlands)Find all of our photos of the day here.

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