Baiterek Tower

바이테렉 타워

Baiterek is an observation tower and monument in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. The name means tall poplar tree. The tower is 105 meters high and stands on Nurjol Boulevard, and it is the symbol of the new capital city and of post-independence Kazakhstan.

See it on the 3D globe →

At a glance

Country: Kazakhstan
Location: Astana, Kazakhstan
Built: 2002
Height: 105 m
Type: Tower

Quick answers

Where is Baiterek Tower?

Baiterek Tower is in Astana, Kazakhstan.

When was Baiterek Tower built?

Baiterek Tower was built in 2002.

How tall is Baiterek Tower?

Baiterek Tower is about 105 m tall.

An observation tower depicting a golden egg in the tree of life, the symbol of Astana.

It shows a golden egg in the branches of the tree of life. A narrow shaft is surrounded by white branch-like girders that flare out near the top and hold a gold-mirrored sphere 22 meters wide. Its observation deck, 97 meters up, recalls 1997, the year Astana became the capital. The project was commissioned in 1996, and the tower is a favorite place for both tourists and local people.

Why a tree and an egg?

The tower shows a golden egg resting in the tree of life, a symbol of the new capital. Choosing this symbol was part of a wider plan to build a new capital in the steppe. The president at the time, Nursultan Nazarbayev, made a sketch of the approximate shape, and the Union of Architects of Kazakhstan developed the project. An important reason for choosing this home-grown design instead of other ideas was its lower cost.

Visiting the tower

The project was ordered in 1996 and carried out by the Kazakh architect Akmurza Rustembekov. The base holds a ticket booth and exhibition space, and two lifts climb inside the shaft to the observation deck in the golden sphere. The deck has two levels, one with a 360-degree view over Astana and one higher level reached by stairs. On the top level there is a gilded print of the right hand of the president, where visitors place their own hands.