The glittering capital city of Kazakhstan is often skipped by travelers because of its feeling of superficiality. Well, it's indeed a brand new city, full of skyscrapers, sparkling monuments, an alien in Central Asia. When the first President of the country Nursultan Nazarbaiev (who recently resigned after 30 years of Presidency) decided to move the capital from Almaty to Astana in 1994, he also initiated a lot of architectural projects to develop business in the region. Despite the artificial splendor of the city, Astana deserves the visit, and here are the spots you should see while you're there. Update march 2019 : the official name of the city has changed since the first President Nursultan Nazarbaiev resigned in march 2019. From now on, it is called... Nursultan, a tribute to the former President.