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Almaty

Favorite thing: Almaty is the largest city in Kazakhstan, with about 1,500,000 inhabitants. It is one of the most cosmopolitan cities in Central Asia. In recent years, foreign investment has brought about many fine shops, restaurants, hotels, and casinos. It is a green and pleasant city with many large trees along the streets, set against the spectacular backdrop of the Tien Shan Mountains.

During the Bronze Age, around 1,000 to 900 B.C., farmers and cattle breeders of the Saka and Uisun tribes settled in the area that would one day become Almaty. From the tenth to fourteenth centuries, the region of "Big Almaty" was a trading center on the famous Silk Route. However, from the Bronze Age through the mid-1800s, there was not what could be called a town or settlement in the area.

The history of modern Almaty began in 1854 when the Russians established a military outpost called Fort Verniy ("Faithful") at a strategic location where the steppes meet the Tien Shan Mountains. At this time, Kazakhstan became part of the Russian Empire. In 1855, Kazakhs, Russian peasants, and Tatars began settling around the fort, marking the beginning of a new town. In 1867 the fort was absorbed into the town, which was given the name Verniy. In 1921, the name of Verniy was changed to Alma-Ata, and by this time, Kazakhstan was part of the Soviet Union: the Kazakh Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. Construction of the Turkestan-Siberia Railway between 1926 and 1930 led to an increase in the growth and importance of Alma-Ata. The capital of the Kazakh Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was moved from Kyzyl-Orda to Alma-Ata in 1927.

After the breakup of the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan became an independent nation in 1991 and Almaty remained its capital. In 1993, the city was renamed again, this time to Almaty. (Both Alma-Ata and Almaty derive from the Kazakh word for "apple"). Almaty was the nation's capital until 1997, when Astana was chosen to be the new capital for its central location. However, Almaty is still the most popular destination for Kazakhs moving from the countryside into the city.