File:Almaty_city_skyline.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
Almaty
Also known as City of Almaty, Alma-Ata, Almati, Alma Ata, Vernoe, Fort Vernoe, Verny, Vernyy
Almaty is the largest city in Kazakhstan, with a population exceeding two million residents within its metropolitan area. Located in the foothills of the Trans-Ili Alatau mountains in southern Kazakhstan, near the border with Kyrgyzstan, Almaty stands as a pivotal center of culture, commerce, finance and innovation. The city is nestled at an elevation of 700–900 metres (2,300–3,000 feet), with the Big Almaty and Small Almaty rivers running through it, originating from the surrounding mountains and flowing into the plains. Almaty is the second-largest city in Central Asia and the fourth-largest
AI overview
Almaty is the largest city in Kazakhstan and a major cultural, commercial, and financial hub in Central Asia, with over two million residents in its metropolitan area. Situated in the foothills of the Trans-Ili Alatau mountains in southern Kazakhstan near the Kyrgyzstan border, the city serves as an important center for innovation and commerce in the region.
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Place details
- Locality
- Алматы
- Country
- Қазақстан
- Population
- 1,977,011
- Timezone
- Asia/Almaty
via · GeoNames
Travel guide
Understand
The riches of the Silk Road plodded through on camel-back and never embellished these steppes. The few inhabitants were nomadic herdsmen, with no town until the Russians colonised and built a wooden fort in 1854. An industrial town grew around the fort, although twice flattened by earthquakes. The Soviets named it Alma-Ata; "Alma" may mean "apple" and modern apples originated in this region. The city became the capital of the Kazakh SSR (or equivalent entities), and a railway and highway connected it to Russia. Trotsky was in exile here for a year before fleeing to Turkey then Mexico, where his communist comrades finally caught up with him and put a pick-axe through his head.
The city was laid out on a low-rise grid pattern, with broad boulevards and parks, and has never had an organic "old town". During World War II Soviet industries relocated here beyond Nazi attack, along with hospitals, universities, cultural institutes and workers from elsewhere (especially Slavs, Uyghurs and Koreans) so it became quite cosmopolitan. After the collapse of the USSR in 1991, the city became capital of independent Kazakhstan and was renamed Almaty.
For a capital Almaty was off-centre in a vast country, hard up against lofty mountains on the borders just south; the northern Kazakh city of Petropavl was astride the Trans-Siberian railway and closer to Moscow than to Almaty. In 1997 President Nursultan Nazarbayev shifted the capital to Akmola and renamed this as Astana. In 2019 he thought …
Get in
thumb | 300px | Ascension Cathedral See Kazakhstan#Get in for entry requirements. Most westerners may enter without a visa for up to 30 days.
Get around
The city is laid out on a modern grid-pattern, and "up" usually means south, towards the mountains. However it's a gentle gradient, and in places the gradient east is similar. By day you can reality-check against the position of the sun, but at night or on dull days you could do with a compass to avoid tramping the wrong way. The other difficulty for visitors is the changed street names. Ask a local, who'll remember the old name that's in your guidebook.
Do
thumb | 300px | FC Kairat (in yellow) play April-Nov Artishock is an experimental theatre at Kunaev 9. La Boheme is a theatre at Valikhanov 43, Metro Zhibek Zholy. Abay Kazakh State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater is at Kabanbay Batyr 110, Metro Almaly. M Lermontov State Academic Russian Drama Theater is at Abay 43, Metro Abay. KELT is an English language theatre within KIMEP University, Metro Abay. Uyghur Theatre is at Nauryzbai Batyr 83. Almaty Theatre is on Halyk Square off Al-Farabi. Saunas or banyas are where folk relax and socialise during the miserable cold months. These have different styles eg Moroccan, Nordic or Russian (where half the fun is flagellating yourself with veniki leaves). A two hour session with various extras might be 5000 tenge in 2024. There's some 30 saunas across the city, not including private hotel facilities or seedy "gentlemen's clubs", and many are part of large leisure complexes. A good example is Arasan at Tolebaev 78 near Ascension Cathedral, open daily 07:00-22:30. Football: FC Kairat play soccer in the Premier League, Kazakhstan's top tier, which plays April-Nov. Their home ground is Central Stadium, capacity 24,000, on Abay Ave (Metro Baikonur / Stadion). International games are played in Astana.
~50 min read
Article
51 sectionsContents
- Status
- Etymology
- History
- Prehistoric Almaty
- 12th–15th centuries
- 16th–18th centuries
- Foundation of Verny
- Soviet era
- World War II
- Industrialization
- Urban development
- Post-independence
- Administrative divisions
- Geography
- Climate
- Seismic activity in the territory of Kazakhstan
- Demographics
- Religion
- Culture
- Theaters
- Museums
- Cinemas
- Economy
- Cityscape
- Attractions
- Churches
- Fountains
- Recreation
- Medeu
- Şymbūlaq
- Big Almaty Lake
- First President's Park
- Kok Tobe Tower
- Park of 28 Panfilov Guardsmen
- Transportation
- Air
- Urban transport
- Education
- Universities
- Sport
- Olympic aspirations
- In popular culture
- Notable people
- Twin towns – sister cities
- Gallery
- International organizations
- See also
- Notes
- References
- Further reading
- External links
Almaty is the largest city in Kazakhstan, with a population exceeding two million residents within its metropolitan area. Located in the foothills of the Trans-Ili Alatau mountains in southern Kazakhstan, near the border with Kyrgyzstan, Almaty stands as a pivotal center of culture, commerce, finance and innovation. The city is nestled at an elevation of 700–900 metres (2,300–3,000 feet), with the Big Almaty and Small Almaty rivers running through it, originating from the surrounding mountains and flowing into the plains. Almaty is the second-largest city in Central Asia and the fourth-largest in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
Almaty served as the capital of Kazakhstan from 1929 to 1991 during the Soviet era and after independence from 1991 until the capital was relocated to Akmola (now Astana) in 1997. Despite no longer being the capital, Almaty remains the most cosmopolitan and influential city in Kazakhstan, often regarded as the nation's cultural and financial heart, and is colloquially referred to as the "Southern Capital". It is classified as a city of republican significance, granting it autonomy from regional governance. The city is divided into eight administrative districts within the framework of its republican significance.
Gallery (52)
On the map
3 mapped locations