Visiting Astana: Kazakhstan’s Futuristic Capital
CULT Coffee & Bakery
Since we landed early in the morning, our first order of business was coffee and breakfast. Cult is not only a coffee shop, but also a culinary academy. The space inside is pretty big, with a clean, modern, and minimalist interior. They offer a menu with meals, freshly baked goods, and an excellent coffee selection. Michael ordered a pour-over, and I continued my South Asian-inspired quest for creamy iced strawberry matcha. For our meal, we shared a roasted beef sandwich with grilled cheese and peppers.
While we were visiting Astana it was below freezing and snowing, so being inside, warm and cozy, enjoying that simple sandwich elevated by culinary magic—it was perfect. We still talk about that sandwich today; it set the gold standard for what a grilled sandwich should be. The staff was super friendly, spoke English, and they had an English menu, which was really helpful for us. We were honestly surprised by how strong the specialty coffee scene is in Kazakhstan—it’s still relatively new, but clearly growing fast.
Peace and Unity Alley
One thing that really drew us to Astana was its architecture. It’s one of the newest capitals we’ve ever visited, and we were amazed by its neo-futuristic style. We decided to visit a park called the Peace and Unity Alley. In the distance, we could see a striking glass sphere-shaped building—that’s the Nur Alem Future Energy Museum. Since we only had one day in Astana, we didn’t have time to explore the buildings up close, but just seeing them from afar was still really impressive.
The park itself is wide and open, with playgrounds, fountains, and lots of space. I can imagine it being packed during the summer—it’s the kind of green space that draws people in. We still had fun running and playing in the snow, even in the cold. We were really glad we got to continue exploring Astana’s unique architecture, even if just for a short while.
Astana Grand Mosque
Since Astana is a relatively new capital, it was a bit difficult to find much information on what to do there while we were researching. Surprisingly, this spot wasn’t even on our list—until we happened to drive by it. The Astana Grand Mosque is the largest mosque in Central Asia. The Hazrat Sultan Mosque, also located in Astana, used to hold that title—until Tajikistan built an even larger one. After that, construction began on the Astana Grand Mosque, which was completed in 2022.
I’ve never been to a mosque this grand in my life. It’s massive! You really have to step back when trying to capture the exterior as its very wide and large. When we entered, we placed our shoes and bags in lockers, and I put on a covering. The mosque isn’t just for prayer—it has everything from cafés, a restaurant, a convenience store, a bookstore, and more. Walking into the prayer halls felt surreal. The chandeliers draped from the ceilings, the intricate designs were woven into every detail, and the inscriptions on the walls were stunning. The inscriptions are the 99 names of Allah, all written in gold.
Women are allowed in the main prayer hall during certain times, but there’s also a women-only prayer area on the second floor. I was able to spend some quiet time there, just sitting and taking it all in. Visiting Astana Grand Mosque was truly one of the most exquisitely decorated spaces I’ve ever seen. I couldn’t imagine just walking in and out quickly; there’s so much to observe. You can also go up one of the minarets but when we went it was closed. I especially loved the color palette: the bright turquoise carpets, the white walls, and the gold accents came together beautifully.
Cafe Latte
Cafe Latte is another specialty coffee shop I found in Astana, located at Sauran St. 13. We can definitely say it was one of our more interesting coffee experiences. They serve pour-overs, which was a good sign, and the staff initially helped us read the menu since it was in Kazakh. We waited for a bit, and then we started hearing some arguing. Little did we know, the staff member who had been helping us with our order actually stormed off and left!
The remaining staff didn’t speak English, so with a little help from Yandex Translate, we figured out that she couldn’t make the pour-over—or a few of the other specialty drinks. So, Michael kept it simple and ordered a hot Americano, and I went with a hot pink matcha latte.
Michael could tell the coffee was definitely specialty—the beans were roasted well, and it was a solid cup. We also got a croissant sandwich that we think was roasted duck… but we can’t quite remember. Whatever it was, it was pretty good. We really liked the interior—it was spacious, filled with draping greenery, and had plenty of outlets. If we needed to work on something, this would’ve been a great spot for it. That said, I’d recommend coming here with a bit of discretion—it kind of depends on the staff working that day what you’ll actually be able to order.
Khan Shatyr Entertainment Center
Right in the middle of Astana stands a huge tent-like structure—this is the Khan Shatyr Entertainment Center. The shape of the building is designed to resemble a traditional Kazakh yurt, and it was built in a neo-futurist style that really complements Astana’s modern skyline. Inside, the tent houses a massive mall that’s skylit from above. When the weather cleared up and the bright blue sky appeared, the natural light streaming in made everything look even more stunning.
The mall itself feels pretty typical—filled with stores, cafés, restaurants, and a movie theater—but there are some unique surprises too. On the top floor, there’s an actual beach resort, with sand imported from the Maldives, that stays open year-round. There’s also a legit amusement park for kids with actual rides that look like a blast. If I were a kid, I’d be begging to go here—there are just so many fun games and things to do. Honestly, it’s great for all ages. Definitely worth checking out and spending at least an hour exploring.
Nur-Astana Mosque
Nur-Astana is the third-largest mosque in Central Asia. Its exterior stands out from the other mosques in Astana—it’s white, simple, and crowned with a striking gold dome. The dome itself is 40 meters high, symbolizing the age at which one of the angels appeared to Prophet Muhammad. If you couldn’t tell, Kazakhstan is a primarily Muslim country, so when visiting Astana many of the main structures will be Islamic related. As we walked toward the mosque, we found ourselves surrounded by a sea of people. We had arrived just as the call to prayer had ended. It was difficult to get in at that moment, so we waited outside.
While we were waiting, a kind man came up to us, welcoming us to Kazakhstan and to the mosque. He was curious about why we were visiting Astana of all places, struck up a conversation. He even brought over a few of his friends. His English was excellent—self-taught, he told us. It was such a beautiful experience, being welcomed so warmly by locals and shown such genuine kindness. It reminded me of how many good-hearted people there are in the world, eager to share their culture with others.
Once the crowd cleared a bit, we made our way inside. There were separate entrances for men and women. I entered through the women’s side, took off my shoes, and tried to find Michael. It was still quite crowded, but an elderly woman—who had seen us together at the entrance—noticed me searching and kindly guided me to where he was. This mosque felt different from the grand mosque. The prayer hall was smaller, but still stunning with its bright blue carpets, vibrant accents, and massive gold ring chandeliers.
I’ve realized I really enjoy looking at all the chandeliers in the mosques—they’re always unique and so detailed. We didn’t spend as much time here since the layout was more straightforward and direct, but it was still a meaningful visit. As I made my way toward the exit, the same woman who had helped me earlier stopped to talk to me again. I didn’t understand Kazakh—other than the word for “thank you”—but through her smiles and hand gestures, I understood everything she was trying to say. It was another reminder of just how kind and open people can be, even when we don’t share the same language or background.
SANDYQ Restaurant
SANDYQ Restaurant is a great place to visit if you really want to experience traditional Kazakh cuisine. Even though the exterior looks sleek and modern, the moment you step inside, you’re transported into traditional Kazakhstan. Everything—from the staff uniforms to the interior decor and the menu—feels authentically rooted in the culture. Since this was our first meal of the day, we wanted to try a variety of dishes. We started with drinks: I ordered a berry lemonade, which was very different from the lemonade I was expecting. It had more of a thick, pressed juice texture—but it was absolutely delicious.
Michael went with a traditional fermented horse milk, a local staple. For food, we began with baursaks, which are traditional fried bread served with sweet jam. Man, what we would do to eat that bread again. The warm, soft bread balls paired with the homemade jam were a total flavor burst. Michael ordered shi kuyrdak, a dish made with lamb meat, heart, liver, and tripe. I had kaktalgan kazy, horse meat served with kurt sauce. I’ve had horse meat in other countries, but this was different—I expected it to be tough, but it was surprisingly tender.
It had been a while since we’d had a meat-heavy, hearty meal like this, so by the end, we were completely stuffed. The cuisine reminded me a bit of Mongolian food, which makes sense considering Kazakhstan’s nomadic history. We really enjoyed the rich and satisfying meal. Since visiting Kazakhstan we had only had one real meal, so this easily became our favorite food in Astana.
Hazrat Sultan Mosque
With the little time we had left, we wanted to see one more mosque—so we headed to the Hazrat Sultan Mosque. At the entrance, you remove your shoes, and they provide coverings for women, which was really helpful. As we were visiting the last main mosque in Astana we only had 30 minutes before it closed, so we had to get inside quickly.
The prayer hall here is larger compared to the one at Nur-Astana Mosque. The atmosphere felt a bit different too—it had the vibe of a community center. People of all ages were there: reading the Quran, chatting, or simply spending time together. Some Kazakh boys approached Michael and struck up a conversation, curious and friendly. Meanwhile, I ended up talking to a woman who had brought her relatives to visit the mosque. Have I mentioned how incredibly friendly everyone has been toward us? Seriously, it’s something we’ll never forget.
The prayer hall itself was dimly lit, with intricate ceiling designs and massive, shimmering chandeliers. Tall marble pillars rose throughout the space, each topped with delicate, gold leaf-like shapes. What stood out about the exterior was its unique square shape, unlike the more typical domed structures. It has layered minarets on each corner, and when lit up at night, it looks absolutely stunning.
Palace of Peace and Reconciliation
To continue our architecture walk, we visited the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation. The building was created as a permanent venue for the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, and it serves as a global center for promoting peace, interfaith understanding, and equal rights for all. By the time we arrived, it was already closed—but that was totally fine with us, since we were more interested in seeing the exterior anyway.
The structure really stood out, especially at night, lit up in vibrant, colorful lights that gave it a bright and striking appearance. We didn’t stay too long, though—this was the moment we truly understood why Astana is known as the world’s second-coldest capital. We walked around, snapped some photos, and then quickly made our escape from the freezing temperatures.
Baiterek
Baiterek is both an observation tower and a monument, standing 97 meters tall. We saw the tower during the day and at night, but decided to go up at night so we could take in the nighttime view of Astana—and warm up a bit. The entry fee was 2,000 tenge per person, which is about $4.15 USD. The observation area is entirely indoors—there’s no outside viewing deck. We took the elevator up to the top, but once we got there, it was actually pretty hard to see the city through the glass. It wasn’t very clear, which was a bit disappointing.
There’s a café at the top, and you can also pay to have some photos taken inside. At the base of the tower, there’s a small museum as well, but it requires an additional fee. Overall, we were kind of disappointed that the view wasn’t as good as we had hoped. If you are visiting Baiterek, we highly recommend you come in the day as the view of Astana would be much clearer.
Final Thoughts
Even with just one day visiting Astana, we felt like we got a meaningful glimpse into its heart, with warm people, vibrant food, and eye-catching architecture. There’s something surreal about wandering through a city so young, yet so full of character. We’re already hoping to return one day, maybe in the summer, to experience a whole new side of this fascinating capital.
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