The nomadic tribes who migrated into the region of present-day Kazakhstan in the 13th century were united as a single nation in the middle of the 16th century. The area was conquered by Russia and became a part of the Russian empire in the 18th century, and Kazakhstan became a Soviet Republic in 1936. It was the last of the former Soviet Republics to break away from the Soviet Union in 1991. Since then, this vast land-locked country has become the richest country in Central Asia, due to its large oil and natural gas reserves. Larger than Western Europe, the Central Asian republic of Kazakhstan is the ninth largest country in the world, with a land area of around one million square miles. Its neighbours are Russia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan, and it also borders on a large part of the Caspian Sea. In a country noted for religious tolerance, with a population of fewer than eighteen million, the majority of the people are Muslim, but around a quarter belong to the Russian Orthodox Church. There are 131 ethnic groups living in the country, 63 per cent of them are Kazakhs, but there are also Russians, Ukrainians, Germans, Uzbeks, Tatars, and Uyghurs. There are many reasons for this, but mass deportations during the rule of Joseph Stalin brought diverse ethnic groups into the region. Since independence many of the Russians and Germans have chosen to return to their country of origin. Visitors to Kazakhstan will be amazed not only by monuments or buildings, but also by the enormous sweep of the vast plains. The Kazakh steppe, which covers about a third of the country and stretches from the River Volga in the west to the Altai Mountains in the east and from the plains of western Siberia in the north to oases and deserts of Central Asia in the south is characterised by large areas of grasslands and sandy desert. Such a harsh and inhospitable terrain has moulded the character of the Kazakh people. Tending animals on the open plains has always been central to the Kazaks' traditional lifestyle, and most of their nomadic customs and practices are related in some way to livestock. A tent, known as a yurt, made of a flexible framework of willow wood and felt is the traditional Kazakh dwelling. A hole in the top allows smoke from the central hearth to escape. If the yurt has been constructed properly, it can be both cool in summer and warm in winter. For a people continually on the move, it can be put together or taken down in less than an hour. The challenge, of course, for any country is to make progress for the good of its people, while at the same time maintaining the culture and heritage which made the people what they are. Revenues from oil and gas have made such progress possible and President Nursultan Nazarbayev, President of Kazakhstan since independence, has tried to steer the country's course into the modern era. Since 1997, for example, the capital city, with a population of around seven hundred and fifty thousand people, has been Astana. A modern city in every sense, Astana is the vision of President Nazarbayev himself. Home to Opera and Ballet and with its own Symphony Orchestra it also has an array of exciting and innovative new buildings. The Khan Shatyr Entertainment Centre, for example, designed by the British Architect Norman Foster, is a truly audacious and remarkable building and a symbol of the country's growth. 150 metres tall, the building is shaped like a traditional yurt and is the world's largest tent! There are 100,000 square metres of space beneath the translucent canopy. The transparency and scale of the tent stands out in the city's skyline like a beacon, changing colours at night and streaming in natural light during the day. Another of Foster's extraordinary futuristic buildings is the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation (also known as the Pyramid of Peace) which is home to both the Opera and an international Conference Centre. The newly built 30,000 seating capacity Astana Arena is largely a venue for soccer games, but this large amphitheatre with a two-tiered structure can also be used for other sporting events. It has a spectacular elliptical form and a retractable roof that can be closed in harsh winter weather conditions to protect the players, the spectators and the playing surface. Muslims read in the holy Qur'an in Surat Fatir: "Seest thou not that Allah sends down rain from the sky? With it we then bring gown produce of various colours. And in the mountains are tracts white and red, of various shades of colour, and blac intense in hue." (35:27) Like many countries, Kazakhstan is a reflection of the hues and colours and the variety of Creation. From the windswept plains to the chic boulevards and modern buildings of Astana, and from the simple nomadic lifestyle to the world of business and economics, there are lessons for all of us to learn. In never forgetting our heritage, we must always remember, too, the One who made everything there is. In Kazakhstan we see a modern miracle of transformation. Miracles are possible in this world, but let us not forget that the One who made the heavens and the earth is the greatest miracle maker of all. British Muslim writer, Idris Tawfiq, teaches at Al-Azhar University and is the author of nine books about Islam. You can visit his website at www.idristawfiq.com, join him on Facebook at Idris Tawfiq Page and listen to his Radio Show, "A Life in Question," on Sundays at 11pm on Radio Cairo 95.4 FM.
