There is something mirage-like about Kazakhstan’s capital Astana. Little surrounds the city for 1,200 kilometers, save a handful of provincial towns dotted across the world’s largest steppe, a ...

City view of Astana, Kazakhstan By Xinhua Published: Jul 02, 2024 10:41 AM This photo taken with a mobile phone shows people walking on the Atyrau Bridge in Astana, Kazakhstan, June 30, 2024.

In 1997 the Kazakh president launched a plan to protect his new capital from the icy winds of the featureless steppes with a ring of trees. Twenty years on, his scientists are still struggling to grow ...

The best time of year to visit Kazakhstan: Plan carefully if you don’t like the cold. Astana is the second coldest capital in the world, just behind Mongolia’s Ulaanbaatar. The city’s Ishim ...

This photo taken on June 14, 2025 shows a city view of Astana, Kazakhstan. (Photo: Xinhua) People enjoy leisure time by the Ishim River in Astana, Kazakhstan, June 13, 2025.