Bayterek Monument

Bayterek is a uniquely designed, majestic monument, which is considered to be the visiting card of the modern capital of Kazakhstan. The full name of this monument is Baiterek-Astana. For Kazakhs, it has become a symbol of the onset of a new stage in the history of the country, and the world community perceives Baiterek as the embodiment of the independent state of Kazakhstan.

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Every day many tourists come to the huge monument, wishing to visit inside Baiterek. These are residents of Kazakhstan and foreign travelers, children and students. The employees serving them are dressed in special uniforms, which are decorated with elements of national ornaments. They conduct sightseeing tours for guests in Russian, Kazakh, English and other languages.

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Highlights

Baiterek High Tower is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city. At the top of this monument is arranged a spacious observation deck in the form of a circular hall with a bar. From here you can enjoy wonderful views of the urban neighborhoods of the new Kazakh capital and the picturesque Presidential Park. Some travelers come to Bayterek specifically to admire the beautiful modern Astana from its top.

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In the center of the observation hall is a wooden globe, which is surrounded by 17 “petals” signed by the heads of the world’s religious denominations. It symbolizes the loyalty of modern Kazakh society and its openness to different approaches for the sake of solving common problems of mankind. An unusual monument “Careful Hands” is exhibited nearby, where one can see an imprint of the right palm of the country’s president Nursultan Nazarbayev.

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Inside the tower there is a model of the central part of the city, and guides in several languages tell tourists about the history of Astana and plans for its development. There is also a store where guests can buy original handicrafts and souvenirs with symbols of Bayterek. Official events and receptions are held in the large viewing halls of the monument. And on the square that surrounds the unusual monument, street exhibitions are regularly held.

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Symbolism of Baiterek

In the traditional culture of the East, monuments and architectural structures are always symbolic. Baiterek was no exception. According to the idea of its creators, this tall monument conveys the idea of the three-tiered Tree of Peace, underlying the worldview of ancient nomads. This system of views reveals the eternal struggle between good and evil and the antagonism of life and death. The model of the world in the form of a huge tree connecting the lower levels (the world of the dead), the middle world (all the living) and the heavens is characteristic not only of Kazakhstan. It is peculiar to the peoples of different countries and speaks of their common cultural and historical roots.

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The monument is located near the Ishim River, which flows through the whole of Astana. In the context of Baiterek, Ishim symbolizes the World River, carrying its waters at the junction of life and death. The basis of the monument is the Tree of Life, growing out of the Earth and supporting the Sky with its branches. This huge Tree in the cosmogonic ideas of nomadic peoples who inhabited Kazakhstan from ancient times, embodies the idea of Good.

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To the sprawling crown of the Tree flies a large eagle-like bird Samruk, which must lay a golden egg there. This is how the ancient Kazakh epic describes the Sun – the eternal giver of life and hope. And below, at the foot of the Tree sits the eternally hungry dragon Aidakhar, which is a Kazakh symbol of the coming of night and the change of seasons.

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History of creation

The project of the unique structure was developed by the president of the Kazakh Union of Architects, Professor Akmurza Rustambekov. For the construction of Baiterek, an original foundation consisting of 500 piles was prepared and a huge volume of earthworks – 8.6 thousand cubic meters – was carried out. Finishing, engineering and special works were carried out by 23 subcontractors.

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Construction started in 1996, and in 2003 the monument was opened. The author of Baiterek managed to achieve the goal and embody the harmony between the ancient spiritual culture of the Kazakh people and modern technology, symbolizing the country’s aspirations for the future.

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Features of the design

The Baiterek is made of concrete, steel and glass and rises 105 meters above the city streets, which is comparable in height to a 34-story building. The total weight of the monument exceeds 1 thousand tons.

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The monument is decorated with a huge glass ball mounted at a height of 97 m, which has a diameter of 22 m and weighs 300 tons. The number 97 was not chosen by chance. It symbolizes 1997, which became a new reference point in the history of Kazakhstan. The ball is made of chameleon glass, which can change its color depending on the angle of incidence of sunlight. And the total area of glazing exceeds 1.5 thousand square meters. meters.

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In the underground floors of Baiterek, deepened by 4.5 meters, there are aquariums and an art gallery, where the works of famous Kazakh artist Yerbolat Tolepbay are exhibited. Downstairs you can also have a great time in a cozy cafe. High-speed panoramic elevators are laid through the core of the structure – the “trunk” of the tower, with the help of which visitors go up to the observation hall.

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Interesting facts

The unusual monument is so popular that its copies have already been installed in two other cities of Kazakhstan. A more than three times smaller copy of Bayterek is located in the city of Ust-Kamenogorsk, in the east of the country. It weighs 22 tons and is 28.5 m into the sky. The second copy decorates the square of the 50th anniversary of Ekibastuz city, in Pavlodar region.

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The memorable silhouette of the monument is depicted on the 50 tenge jubilee coin, which was issued in honor of the 10th anniversary of Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. In addition, the Baiterek can be seen on Kazakh paper bills of 10 thousand tenge.

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Tourists

The monument is open all year round for visitors. You can get inside it from 10.00 to 21.00 in low season (from October 1 to April 30), and from 10.00 to 22.00 in high season, when there are more tourists in Astana (from May 1 to September 30).

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Adult ticket costs 500 tenge, children (5 to 15 years old) – 150 tenge. Children under 5 years old can visit inside Baiterek for free.

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How to get there

Baiterek is located at the address: Astana, Left Bank, 1, not far from the highway leading to the airport. There are several buses and shuttle buses (stop “Baiterek”).

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