We arrived in Astana having purposefully arranged an eight hour layover. This is a city that has been built over the last few years from the ground up. It is centered around a beautiful park with this fantastically modern tower. We arrived early so we walked around and enjoyed the clean streets and modern archetecture while we waited for the doors to open and our chance to check out the tower.
Once inside it was clear that this tower was going to be as fascinating inside as it was outside. Two elevators were constantly filled with people going up to the top and with those waiting on the bottom. The smooth lines and cool white light gave the downstairs section a modern feel. There is an art gallery right off the main floor that is filled with works showing the history of Kazakhstan.
Once at the top the views are fantastic. Gardens stretch out in all directions and you can see the care and precision that went into laying out the streets and buildings all around the city.
The most interesting feature of the tower was a metallic disk which contained a metallic impression of a hand. Visitors are encouraged to place their hand in the impression and share the connection with all those who have gone before. Visitors wound their way toward the disk and gladly placed their hand on it.
Awesome blog! Looking forward to more updates!