Bayterek

The Bayterek tower is the defining landmark of Astana and a physical embodiment of Kazakh creation mythology: the structure represents the sacred Baiterek tree, in whose golden crown the mythical bird Samruk lays its egg — a foundational motif of Kazakh folklore. Designed by Kazakh architect Akmurza Rustembekov, the roughly 105-metre tower was built in the late 1990s as part of President Nursultan Nazarbayev's ambitious project to construct a new capital from scratch on the northern steppe, following the transfer of the capital from Almaty. The gilded sphere at the summit houses an observation deck offering a panorama of Astana's planned boulevards, monumental government buildings, and the vast steppe beyond. After dark, the tower is illuminated in shifting colors, making it visible across the city.