A 105-metre observation tower built between 1996 and 2002, and the defining symbol of the capital — its design draws on Kazakh folklore, representing a mythical tree of life with a golden egg cradled at the top. At the observation deck, a cast of the first president's handprint is set into a pedestal, with a tradition of placing your own hand in it and making a wish. The views from the top take in the city's deliberately futuristic skyline in one sweep.
An enormous transparent tent-shaped structure — technically the world's largest tent — housing a full shopping and entertainment complex, including an indoor beach area, a genuinely strange thing to encounter in a city with such harsh winters.
One of the largest mosques in Central Asia, built in a deliberately grand, modern style consistent with the rest of the city's architecture.
Stayed at Hostel Forum (21–22 Oct 2023), 6,000 KZT — confirmed exact.
Reached via an Air Astana flight from Almaty on 24 October 2023 — the capital city and a clear architectural contrast to the older Silk Road cities on the rest of this route.