Bayterek

Bayterek (meaning tall poplar tree in Kazakh) is a 97-metre high monument and observation tower completed in 1997. It is meant to embody a Kazakh folk tale about a mythical tree of life and a magic bird of happiness, named Samruk, which is believed to have laid its egg between the branches of this mythic tree. The 97-metre height of the tower is meant to represent the fact that Astana became the nation’s capital in 1997. The building, somewhat irreverently, has been named the ‘Chupa Chups’ by the locals after the lollipop brand. If you buy a ticket you can go to the observation deck and get a 360-degree view of the surrounding city. At the top lies a gilded handprint of the president of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Äbishuly Nazarbayev, which is actually mounted on a pedestal. The plaque beside the hand invites all visitors to place their hand upon the imprint of Nazarbayev’s and make a wish. President Nazarbayev is ever-humble!