Kazakhstan

About Kazakhstan

World’s biggest landlocked country with magnificent snow-capped Ala-too and Altai mountain ranges, wide open endless steppes, taiga forests and canyons, colorful cathedrals Kazakhstan  is one of the relatively unexplored lands for a foreign traveler. Its capital, the cosmopolitan city of Astana, prides itself on owning some of the best examples of modern architecture.

Quick Kazakhstan facts

  Area

  2, 725000.sq km  (world’s biggest landlocked and 9th biggest country).

  Capital

  Astana

  Time:

  GMT + 6:00 Bishkek,  Novosibirsk.

  Country Code:

  +7.

  Languages:

  Kazakh, Russian, Uzbek, Ukranian.

  Currency Tenge (KZT)

  US$1 = 343 Tenge (March,2017).                              

  Population

  18, 5 million.

  Phrases

  Hello (Salemetsiz be); Thank you (Rakhmet), good bye (Saw boliniz).

  Ethnic Groups:

  63% Kazakh (Qazaq), 23,7% Russian, 3% Uzbek, 2,1 Ukrainian and 8% others.

People of Kazakhstan like others in former Soviet “stan” countries are very hospitable. Kazakhs have always held guests in high regard. Certain traditional Kazakh foods are usually served only on special occasions such as parties, holidays, weddings, and funerals.In every family the guest, first of all,is regaled with kumiss (the drink based on mare’s milk), shubat or airan.The next comes tea with milk or cream, baursaks, raisins, irimshik, kurt. Then the guest is offered to taste horse-flesh or mutton snacks - kazi, shuzhuk, zhal, zhaya, sur-et, karta, kabirga. Wheatflourcookies are verycommontoo.Unlike other regions of Central Asia, bread is usually made like cookies.

Kazakhstan Customs and Traditions

With its immense territory occupying an area about the size of Western Europe or half the size of the United States Kazakhstan is the biggest landlocked country. Most of these vast expanses are steppe and semi-arid land, which are desolate and frozen in the winter, but turn to lush, green meadow beginning mid-spring, becoming invaluable pastureland for the sheep, horses, cattle, and camels that are essential to the Kazakh people.

The customs of the Kazakh people reflect nomadic or semi-nomadic lifestyle of many of theancestors of modern-day Kazakhs. Nowadays, people live mostly in cities and villages, although many still lead an agricultural life.

The horse, not surprisingly, takes a central part in the Kazakh culture. They say, that in the past, many Kazakh children were taught to ride before they learned to walk, and the Kazakhs are still known for their excellent horsemanship.They love horses, riding them for transportation in the villages, using them for farming, racing them for fun, and eating them for celebrations. It is believed, that they were the first to use stirrups, and perfected the technique of shooting arrows with superb accuracy while riding at a gallop.No traveler should miss an opportunity to watch such displays of riding skill.Many Kazakhs own horses and you can find the pictures of them in their houses or offices.

The yurt is the main architectural remnant and one of the most efficient and practical transportable dwellings, developedby the Kazakhs and other nomadic nations as a result of their nomadic lifestyle. It was very useful to the nomadic Kazakhs, who needed a sturdy dwelling to protect them from the elements of the harsh plains, and its inhabitants would sit and sleep in them on thick mats on the floor It is efficiently used even nowadays.. While traveling through Kazakhstan, you will see different types of these low, cylindrical felt and wood houses, still in use and beautifully decorated with tapestries, and multicolored embroidery. Yurts are widely used in national celebrations and in Kazakh arts and poetry as reminders of the Kazakhs' nomadic past.
 

Kazakhstan Hospitality

A long tradition of peace, tolerance and co-existence persists among the Kazakh people. In the communities children are taught  hospitality and respect from a very young age, which is reflected in the wonderful hospitality offered to all guests and travelers. If a guest visits a Kazakh family, whether or not they are expected, those present will stand up in greeting as he enters the door. He will be seated on the “to’r”- the special guest seat at the top of the table and offered a cup of either kumiss or tea. To disturb the weary or hungry guest until he is  refreshed  is considered extremely poor manners, so the host often remains silent.

Kazakhstan Weddings

According to the Kazakh custom, a wedding lasts 40 days, beginning with the matchmaking.The fiance's relatives act as matchmakers, bringing gifts to the bride's parents and asking for their consent to the marriage. But, sometimes, it is the bride who chooses whether to accept the offer, using diplomacy and tact to avoid an unhappy situation.

One such case is described in the following legend: Abilai Khan fell in love with a beautiful girl from a poor family, but she was already promised to another man - an ordinary warrior. In order to avoid hurting Abylai Khan's feelings and angering him, she set a task for him. She promised to marry him if he could shoot an arrow higher than a certain mountain near a lake.

She sat on a rock in the middle of the lake to watch his efforts, and no matter how hard he tried to shoot the arrow into the sky it would not rise beyond the mountaintop. Her plan had been that, should Khan have been able to fulfill the task, she would jump from the rocky island to the stones below. This mountain is now known as Okzhetpes “Unachievable with an arrow”, and the lake is called Zhumbaktas Riddle-stone”.

If the bride gives consent to the marriage, a big number of other ceremonies follow it, like formal marriage proposal (kuda tusu), the bridal payment (kalym), the bride’s farewell (kyz uzatu), revealing the face of the bride (betashar), the wedding and post-wedding ceremonies, like  the saule kigizu- bride’s custom associated with wearing of traditional head dress, kuyow kyimi - dressing up the groom, zhigit toyi-wedding at the groom’s home and many others. Most of them are beautiful and colorful.

Most weddings happen in Autumn, although other seasons will do. Normally, at Ramadan, when Muslims keep fast, and January (according to Kazakh beliefs, a girl who gets married during the coldest month of the year might not get pregnant for a long time) weddings don’t take place.
The marriage ceremony happens at the following sequence:
 

1.A delegation from the groom’s side, which  typically consists of five to ten of the family’s most respected relatives,home visit the house of the bride for the formal marriage proposal.

2. Then wedding arrangements are made during the wedding ceremony. Paying the kalym is obligatory (in the past, cattle; nowadays, cash), which the bride’s parents then use to purchase a gift for the newlyweds, such as furniture, home electronics, etc.

3. The wedding consists of two parts: the bride’s farewell (kyz uzatu) and the official wedding.

The bride’s farewell is an unofficial part of the wedding ceremony. It is usually held at the bride’s home, but richer families choose to celebrate at a restaurant or café. Since the number of the bride’s guests at the official wedding is limited, the bride’s family tries to gather as many of the bride’s relatives as possible.

The next day after the marriage is legally registered, the groom takes care of the wedding, that is, his family covers all expenses. The number of invited guests is usually 100-300. During the wedding relatives and guests try to get the chance to toast the newlyweds. There is no time limit on these, and people may get offended if they don’t get a chance to speak.

4. Betachar (ceremonially revealing the bride’s face; or, in the contemporary version, showing the bride to the groom’s relatives and guests) is always accompanied by the traditional zhyr-song. During this ceremony the bride has to perform a kelyn salom; each guest approaching the bride to congratulate and give gifts, usually in the form of money expects respectful and deep bow.  This whole ceremony takes at least 30-40 minutes.Add to that the bride’s heavy wedding dress when bowing and she will get a pretty nice workout..

5. After the wedding (usually the next day), the groom’s family hosts a Kelin tea ceremony, in which the new wife serves everyone tea, for which the guests offer her money.

 

Kazakhstan Festivals

 There are many holidays and festivals  like New Year celebrations (1st of January, Nauryz (21st of March), national Unity day (1st of May), Victory Day (9th of May) and many others that are observed in Kazakhstan in a big scale.

New Year is one of the biggest celebrations of the year for Kazakhstanis. On the eve of the New year families get together and in every household there is a decorated New Year tree (fir tree).Also there are gifts to family members. Snow Father with a snow maiden, his younger female helper or granddaughter visits families to give presents to good children. There is a lot of music and dance and a lot of eating and drinking. 

One of the main Spring holidays widely celebrated on the 21st of March in Kazkhstan and across Central Asia known as Nauryz(meaning New Day from Persian) is very special for this region. This day is celebrated as the first day of Spring according to the Persian and Muslim calendar. People of Kazakhstan celebrate this holiday with songs, dances and good food. Though, officially, there  is only one day off on the 21st of March,in fact, the celebration goes on for nearly a month. People visit and congratulate friends and neighbors, and also it is  a time to forgive each other.They say that the more you celebrate at this time, the greater will be your success throughout the year! Guests are met in beautifully decorated yurts where they enjoy a traditional dish of Nauryz koshe. This dish is made with seven different grains, representing the seven days of the week. Optional ingredients for it are several types of cerels,meat, dairy products, soup, noodles and salt. Of course, in the cooking of Nauryz koje meat takes a special place. It is a specially prepared horsemeat, dried for Winter. The dish is boiled for a long time by adding water till meat becomes tender and tasty. Different types games played on horseback like  Kokpar - a type of polo, Kumis Alu, where riders attempt to pick a handkerchief off the ground while galloping at full speed, or Kuuz Kuu – “catch the girl”, where the boys try to best the girls in a race, are peculiar for Nauryz.

Besides, the following holidays are celebrated nationwide in Kazakhstan:

Russian Orthodox Easter (Date changes)

 An Orthodox celebration of the resurrection of Jesus. Eggs are hamstered by babooshkas (old ladies) days in advance to bake the special ‘kulich’ dish, and the midnight mass has a special atmosphere),

National Unity day (1st of May)

Parades and street festivals showcasing the cultures of the different nations co-existing peacefully in Kazakhstan.

Victory  day (9th of May)

 . Military parades in every major city.

The Spirit of Tengri  (June, Almaty)

This festival is devoted to the Sky God  Tengri. Tengri was the main god  of the nomadic people throughout the centuries before Islam took its place.2 nights on the Abay square of local and international contemporary ethnic music.

Astana Day: 6 July. Big concert in Astana celebrating the birthday of president Nazarbayev.

Kurban Bayram (Date changes) Called Eid Al-Adha in the Arabic world,on this Muslim holiday it is a tradional to go to the Mosque,sacrifice a sheep and give out meat to the poor.

 Republic Day: 25 October .

More nation-building, presidential photo-ops and concert.

Day of the First President: 1 December.

A new addition to the growing personality-cult around Nazarbayev. Parades, concerts

Independence Day: 16 December. Independence from the Soviet Union is celebrated with concerts, parades and fireworks

Kazakhstan National Dress

The country's nomadic past is reflected in traditional clothing. Outerwear was historically made from leather, felt and fur. For indoor wear, beautiful satin gowns and trousers were richly decorated with embroidery that often included beads and precious stones.

Many varieties of these traditional costumes have withstood the test of time in beauty and style, which explains why they are still worn today despite their ancient fashion.
Kazakh traditional costumes were made from well-chosen materials and fashioned to suit the conditions of nomadic life and the ever-fluctuating weather conditions. It could stand hard frosts and the weary heat, Durable, comfortable, simple and practical best qualifies most of these clothes, Apart from the general men's, women's and children's wear, these national costumes fall into different classifications according to the occasion for which  it is meant, namely outer garments and underclothes, occasional, seasonal and daily wear.

Daily wear really differed from the occasional in its simple design and fashion. Occasional, in contrast to daily wear, were complexly designed and tailored from valuable plush, velvet, crepe, broadcloth, satin, silk, brocade and other expensive fabrics. To make them more sophisticated, these clothes were artistically embroidered with gold and silver thread, heads, silk, and decorated with pearls, corals, and carnelian insertions. But the pains taken to do them are not in vain, for these clothes are fashioned to accentuate the beauty of these steppe inhabitants, give their natural appearance a special charm and make them more attractive and graceful.

Kazakh traditional clothes in traditional society as in any other cultures performed several functions. They were made from well-chosen materials and fashioned to suit the conditions of nomadic life and the ever-fluctuating weather conditions. They were durable, comfortable, simple and practical and, most importantly, they could stand hard frosts and the weary heat. Hence, the main pragmatic function of clothes is protection of man from influence of the natural envi­ronment. Besides, a traditional costume had the most important "identification" function - it could be possible to define not only the sex and age, but also social status, clan belonging of a person by how and what he/she  wore. 

In the middle - end of XIX century the Kazakhs still used traditional home-made materials - skins, leather, thick felt and other stuff  for  mak­ing outer clothes, footwear and head-dresses. But, later clothes were made of industrial cotton fabrics: printed cotton, coarse calico, calico, velveteen, and also were widely used fabrics of Central Asian domestic production - adras, bekasab, shai (shohi). 
 

In XIX - beginning of XX cc. complex of men and women's clothes was quite steady and homogeneous all over the territory of Kazakhstan. Composition of the costume and principles of cut re­mained almost invariable. One could define social differences in clothes, first of all, in choice of material and in quality of making. 

                 

Men's clothes  

Men would wear an underwear shirt (koilek) and trousers (shtany), outer shoul­der loose clothes and wide trousers (sharovary). Outer loose clothes was worn outside trousers, flaps were wrapped from left to right. Trousers both underwear (dambal) and outer (shalbar) were made of the same on their cut, wide in the seat and in the waist, not long trouser-legs were usually tucked into the boots. Shalbar were made of camel homespun fabric, leather, suede, but from XIX century - of cotton fabric of dark colour or bright velvet.

Men wore not long (to the middle of the thighs or to the knees) loose clothes made on figure with flaps widening to the bottom. The most spread name of this clothes is kamzol (kamzol - men's sleeveless jacket) or beshpent (beshmet) Man's sleeveless jackets were made of dense cotton fabrics, velveteen, woolen clothes, velvet, silk with long or short sleeves, but sometimes with­outsleeves at all. In the cold time of the year kamzol was worn on the thick lining of wool or fur. Kamzol was purely home clothes; leaving his aul man had to wear other clothes over it. 
 

A loose long dressing-gown of straight cut with long and wide sleeves, called shapan is the most spread and required element of the outer clothes. Shapan was made of various fabrics: light and dense, one-colour and coloured. "Shapans" were warmed with a layer of wool or wadding. The Kazakhs wore dressing-gowns in all seasons of the year. In cold weather men put on sev­eral dressing-gowns. But well-to-do Kazakhs wishing to underline their status even in warm time of the year wore 2-3 dressing-gowns, moreover they put on the most expensive shapan over them.
One of the most ancient form of the clothes is kupi - a kind of outer warm clothes - made of camels and sheep's wool which got tangled with natural way. 

Usual winter clothes were uncovered sheep-skin coats - tonSuch coats were made of tanned sheepskin with wool inside. More well-to-do Kazakhs wore covered fur coat ishik of value sorts of fur. Ishik was covered with cloth, velvet, sateen.
Leather belts and stuff (or made of cloth) sashes (girdles) were a required part of the man's costume. Leather belts kise with hang- ing-up-small bags (okshantai)scabbards and snuff-boxes, often were decorated with plaques which were made of iron, brass, cop­per, sometimes were covered with silver, nielloed with design and chases. Such belts were required belonging of smart clothes of a Kazakh - warrior, hunter and cattle-breeder.
Men constantly, even at home wore a head-dress. A round little cloth cap - takiya/kepesh was required. Until the middle of XIX century the Kazakhs wore high skull-caps with a pointed top, gradually a skull-cap with a plane top made of four three-cornered gores or cut out in the form of circle became usual. Upper head-dresses were made of thick felt and fur. In sum­mer the Kazakhs wore light felt hats (kalpak) and a cap with a fur edging (borikin winter were put on caps of special cut (tymak or malakai). Tymak was made with a crown and four large blades, cut out of thick felt and covered with fabric. Blades were edged with fur.
Fox fur was considered more prestigious for malakhai. The cut of tymak had regional peculiarities, by it you could judge about the Kazakh's clan belonging. In XIX century the Kazakhs of the Middle and Junior zhuz still wore an an­cient head-dress bashlyk (dalbai, zhalbagai ,dalbagai, kulepara) made of camel cloth and other dense fabrics.
In XIX century the most spead men's footwear were simple leather boots with rounded toes and low heel made on one and the same boot-tree, without difference on left and right Boots were distinguished by the seasons. Winter boots were high with wide tops, as they were put on felt stockings (kiiz baipak).   

Women's clothes:

kоilеk   is a tunic-shapedshirt-dress . Young women preferred red or gay-colored fabric, women of middle and elderly ages - fabrics of dark blue and white colour. Well-to-do Kazakh women made their dresses of silk, satin, velvet, brocade. 
A collar of dresses was with buttons up to the neck, then it was edged with a turn-down collar, but from the middle of XIX century - with stand-up collar. Unmarried girls covered their breast with a special breastplate, but married women - with the breast part of the head­dress. By the end of XIX century had been widely practiced a new cut of the dress - were made cut dresses with a bodice and a skirt cut in the waist. Until our days just this kind of the dress is considered to be traditional Kazakh. Dresses of the old cut usually were worn by elderly women.

Women and girls at home often only wore a dress, but some­times put on a kamzol over it which on its cut was analogous to a men's, but more often without sleeves (or with short sleeves) and with the open collar there were met kamzols with long sleeves Besides long kamzols girls and young women wore short sleeveless jackets reaching to tne waist or the middle of the hips Wom­en's straight and wide dressing-gowns (shapan) with long sleeves differed from men's with making them of fabrics of bright colours. Dressing-gowns were decorated with a border of the fabric of other colour. 
Rich women made their holiday "sha- pans" of expensive fabrics, decorated with braids (laces), embroi­dery and stripes of fur. A bride's dressing-gown which was a required part of her dowry (trousseau) was decorated particularly recherchely. Such a dressing-gown was made of cloth, velvet, satin, silk usually of red colour and also black or stripy Central Asian silk. A wedding dressing-gown was made with very long false sleeves, sewed together below, decorated with embroidery, fur of otter or beaver, edged with a patterned braid and lace. Only girls and married women of well-to-do families had spe­cial winter clothes ( kupi and ishik). 

Women's footwear did not differ from men's. Girls and young women wore mainly boots etiksometimes high (to 10 sm) heeled. Elderly women wore low-heeled boots, but preferred soft boots mesi and galoshes (rubbers) kebis 

The wedding headdresses of Kazakh brides were especially striking, tall caps with intricate filigree work and a diadem set with semi-precious stones, as well as pendants hanging from the temple and chin adornments.

As the population became more urbanized and more and more people began purchasing clothing, even the traditional costumes sewn at home were simpler and made of less opulent materials. Nowadays, the Kazakh national dress varies according to region.  

 

Kazakhstan Music

Since the ancient times people living in the vast steppes of Kazakhstan have played music and performed dances. Ancient cave paintings found in Kazakhstan show people dancing and making music. From these roots, the musical and poetic tradition has continued to the present day.But the  songs created and sung by nomadic tribes for thousands of years have been preserved only through oral tradition for most of their history. It wasn't until the early part of the 20th century that Kazakh music was recorded Solo vocal and instrumental music reflecting the spirit of the landscapes and natural world and  incredible throat songs will ,sure, captivate any visitors to Kazakhstan.

Kazakhs have a great love of the spoken word. The akyns -poets, are an important part of society, improvising at public competitions to the musical accompaniment of the stringed dombra or kobyz.

Kazakhstan Bazaars

In Central Asia bazaar plays a crucial life in the social life of people.Every town and city has its own bazaar. It’s the center of life and business. The Zelyony Bazaar in Almaty has hundreds of stalls offering everything imaginable, including the wonderful Alma-Ata apples that are local to the region and fantastic fresh spices.

Here you can find handicrafts, clothes, and toys, and experience the sights and sounds of a traditional bustling bazaar. Near the bazaar, on the side streets, local residents from all walks of life bring items they may have for sale for a makeshift flea market. Here you may find some real bargains, including memorabilia from the Soviet era.

Kazakhstan Applied & Decorative Art

Unique way of carpet weaving, manufacture of various types of patterned felt rugs and household items from ornamented felt, woven ornamental mats, embroidery, weaving and others best represent Arts and crafts of the Kazakhs. Besides remarkable felt work, Kazakh artisans are also known for the traditional loomed rugs, Several different techniques are used for various types of carpeting, such as the beautiful and complex applique work of tuskiiz, used on walls, or the intricate mosaic carpets made from fabric patches for guests to sit on.

During the middle ages, Kazakhstan was a center for the manufacture of enameled ceramics. Wood and leather were mostly used for vessels, and these are still made today. Steppe zergers – jewelers, favor white silver and the ornate Kazakh bracelets are irresistible.

Everywhere you look, you will see a love of beauty, as even the most commonplace articles are lavishly decorated. Women's headdresses, articles of clothing, even saddle-cloths are exquisitely embroidered. Leather articles, such as harnesses, water flasks, and belts, as well as wooden cups, large bowls and ladles are all beautifully decorated with.

Traditional Kazakh food and features

Most of the main dishes of Kazakh people are meat- based owing to their nomadic background. Kazakh style cooked meat,the main meal of every dastarkhan, is themost delicious and the most favorite of Kazakh people.The traditional national Kazakhstan cookery is based on boiling. Exactly, boiling helps to cook meat with a lot of delicate tastes, gives it softness and aroma.

Boiled meat is served in large uncut pieces. It is the host, usually a man,who cuts the meat himself and treats every guest in a special wayin an order of respect: pelvic bones and shank for honourable old people, brisket for son-in-law or daughter-in-law, neck-bone for girls and so on.Each different piece of the horse (or goat, sheep or cow, never chicken or pig) symbolizes a different attribute such as wisdom, youth, or strength.

The most honorable guest receiveshead of the ram cooked by a particular method. Then the guest should part the head between people around the dastarkhanin obedience with  ancient ritual showing respectful attitude to guests, old people, kids, near and far relations.

The delicious aromatic meat is eaten with thin boiled pieces of pastry. Excellent addition to this dish is rich flavoured meat bouillon - shorpa, served in big bowls. Kumiss and tea are served last.

Today Kazakh meal is something different from the old one but still it is imbued with ancient laws of hospitability. On the contrary, the hospitability is larger than ever for now because not only Kazakhs but people of various nations (Kazakhstan is a multinational country) have a meal around the dastarkhan: Russians, Tatars, Ukrainians, Uzbeks, Germans, Uigurs, Koreans and more. All these nations made their contribution on Kazakhs cookery.

Kazakhstan cuisine includes not only traditional national Kazakhstan dishes but also the best dishes of Uzbek, Russian, Tatar, Korean and other cookeries. That’s why Kazakh cuisine saving its national characteristic features has some international features.

The assortment of food groceries has changed slightly. During its long history Kazakhstan people gathered a huge experience in cooking dishes from meat and milk. And modern times filled it with a large range of vegetables, fruit, fish, sea stuff, baked, flour dishes and confectionery.

The ancient plates and dishes were made from leather, wood, ceramics. Every family had cast-iron cauldron (kazan) for cooking. The tea was boiled in cast-iron jugs, later in samovars.

Beshbarmak, most traditionally made of horse meat, is the most notable traditional dish of the Kazakhs.The word beshbarmakmeans "five fingers" in Kazakh.
It is served on a large flat vesseland put in the middle of the table for common share.Before serving it boiled meat on the bone is served over noodles and covered in a meat broth called shourpa..Beshbarmakis always served in large quantities and usually piping hot.

When beshbarmak is made of sheep, the head of the sheep also will be boiled, fully intact, and served to the most honored guest. That guest then takes a bit of meat for himself or herself and distributes other parts of the head to other people at the table.

From olden times Kazakh cookery was special due to its original technology. Some features of Kazakh people’s lifestyle  left a mark on Kazakh style of food cooking. Kazakh people placed high emphasis on long-term storage of foodstuff. A huge part of meat was prepared for future use being salted, dried. Delicatessen was cooked mainly from horse meat - kazi, shuzhuk, zhal, zhaya, karta and others.

        Kazi- Karta                            Baursak                                   Manti

The most popular baked dish is baursak.This national food that is present at all celebrations isbaursak,a deep-fried bread with nothing in the middle and usually in the shape of a triangle or a circle. The bread is eaten with the meal, not as dessert, and is usually strewn all over the traditional Kazakh table, which is calleddestarkan(the word refers more to a table full of traditional food than to an actual table). Bausak is strewn all over the table so that no part of the table is showing. Kazakhs like to have every inch of service area covered with food, sometimes with more food than will fit on the table, as a way of showing respect and prosperity.

            Shorpa                                        Palau                                      Chak-Chak               

 

Kazakhstan national currency

Kazakhstan national currency is called Tenge. It consists of 100 Tiin. The international code of Tenge is KZT and its official symbol being used is T. The Kazakh word “tenge” is derived from the Turkic language meaning a set of scales.

International banking services are well supported in Kazakhstan Only large sums of money, such as for buying a house or car, will be asked for in US$. 

Cash withdrawal from ATM/Bankomat

ATM’s are found on every major street in big cities. You can withdraw money with Visa, Mastercard or Maestro. The occasional refusal of your card is to be expected, but most ATM’s accept a wide range of foreign bank cards. In smaller towns, there probably will not be an ATM available for cash withdrawal.

Currency exchange Kazakhstan

Currency exchange in Kazakhstan can be found on every street corner. Rates are competitive, once you leave the airport or train station.  Main currencies that are traded with tenge are US dollar, Euro, British pound, Russian rouble, Kyrgyz som and Chinese yuan.

Travellers’ cheques are not commonly accepted in Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan Banknotes

 

              KZT 200                                 KZT 1000                              KZT 5000

   

             KZT 2000                              KZT 500                               KZT 10000



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