Astana is a city located in northern Kazakhstan and since 1997 it has been the capital of the country. The Palace of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, which is also known as Akorda, is situated on the left bank of the Ishim river. The edifice was completed in December 2004 and since then it has been an official residence of Nursultan Nazarbayev. The building has a high golden spire placed atop of the blue dome and thanks to that the whole building is 80 meters high. Near the Presidential Palace there are 105-meter Bayterek observation tower, Kazakhstan Central Concert Hall and representative buildings of the parliament and court. The Akorda is featured on the 10,000 tenge Kazakh banknote.
