The Palace of Independence is well worth a visit especially for its huge scale model of how Astana is planned to look in 2030. It also holds an interesting ethnographic hall with exhibits similar to those at the Presidential Cultural Centre . English-language tours are available. In front of the palace, the 91m-high Kazak Yeli Monument is intended to symbolise the historic destiny of Kazakhstan's people: it's topped by a golden Samruk, statues of heroic batyrs (clan leaders) stand behind, and a 5m bronze relief of President Nazarbaev is tucked into its base.
The high, concave ring of blue glass to the north is the Shabyt , an arts university. Beyond that, the Hazrat Sultan Mosque , opened in 2012, has the largest dome in the country.
